Love for a Pale Girl
by Fancy.Cricket97
Summary: She's not the girl you notice, but she's always there. She's not the girl to get in your way or call attention to herself but she's the only girl for him. GumballxCarrie, I'm going with Rated T for language and suggestive themes and... Enjoy, there's also an update for anyone still looking for Things Change pt. 2
1. Chapter 1

**Hello fine people, this is... my apology story? I guess? I'm apologizing because I've decided to stop the Things Change story and leave it as it is. Now, if you hate me because of this, let me know, I've decided to stop because I like the story where it's at and don't really see anywhere to go with it, but if you do, and you want me to try to create something more to the story, please let me know, I want to work for you guys. These stories are for the reader so if I can't make the reader happy, how in hell can I be happy with my work? Anyway if you want full description on why I decided to stop the story, I have a tumblr now by the same user name and the blog itself is called the Fancy Update... I don't know if you need that, but there it is. On with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I own none of this stuff, damn you and your good ideas Cartoon network...**

Gumball walked through the hallways of Elmore High, it was an average day in his junior year, and Darwin followed close behind with his ever-present smile. Gumball stood a short five four compared to his tall brother at six two, they were both muscularly developed but they're appearance wouldn't catch much attention compared to others in the school. Darwin sported new shoes and Gumball wore hooded jackets more often than not, but the two were still the same old duo. The halls of Elmore high were decorated with the students that filled it. Dinosaurs, birds, robots, if one could think of a random object, it probably inhabited the school. The two stopped at their locker and set their books inside, then Gumball sighed to himself.

"You ever feel like we're in a rut?" He asked leaning against the lockers.

"What do you mean?" Darwin asked closing the locker behind them.

"I mean, we were right here yesterday when the bell rang, we walked home yesterday when we left the building, we got home and did our homework, I miss middle school where anything could happen and everything did." Gumball grumbled but Darwin seemed oblivious to his point. "Never mind," He said and continued to slide down the lockers until her sat on the ground.

"Gumball, you're in front of my locker," Carrie's voice came and he looked up at her, floating with her emotionless expression and one exposed eye. If she'd changed in any way since middle school, Gumball hadn't noticed it, other than a slight growth in height. After freshman year, she seemed to embrace an emo life style more and more, she didn't talk to people anymore and anyone who tried she shoved away.

"Yeah? What are you going to do about it?"

"Okay, be an ass, I'll just fly through you…" She said and passed through Gumball into her locker and was out without another word. She flew off towards the exit and left her locker neighbors where they sat.

"Bitch…" Gumball grumbled after her.

"Carrie can be that way, don't worry about it, let's just get back to Mr. Dad and Mrs. Mom." Darwin ginned.

"Yeah, alright," Darwin helped his brother up and they made their way to the door. They passed a few more students in their trek, one of them being a slim peanut with antlers. "Hi Penny," Darwin said pleasantly.

"Hi Darwin, Hi Gumball," She waved to both of them. Gumball gave a small wave back and a quick smile but kept walking.

"Dude, don't you want to talk to her?" Darwin asked.

"Maybe later, let's just get home." It was hard to explain his relationship with Penny, some days they'd flirt, some days they'd fight, other days they simply didn't acknowledge each other. It was complicated to say the least.

Gumball pushed the doors open to reveal the rain clouds that hung over head, ominously hanging in the sky, no rain came but it soon would. As they walked in silence, Gumball suddenly stopped. "Hey, I'm going to go the junk yard… You wanna come?"

"You mean where Tina lives?" Darwin said with suspicion.

"No, the one where Dad gets out clothes, just to hang out,"

"You wanna work on the bike again don't you?" His brother said seeing through his words.

"It's a freaking motorcycle, and—"

"Forget it Gumball, Mrs. Mom said it was too dangerous, and I won't let you hurt yourself."

"Come on dude, who cares if it's a little dangerous, wouldn't it be awesome if we got it working, driving up to school in that badass motorcycle? I can see us now, cruising by, you might even get a girlfriend."

"I don't want a girlfriend Gumball, I want you to be safe, you almost died the last time you went there, I don't want you to die,"

"So I overworked the engine a bit, I'm sure that it won't happen again, please dude, it'll be so sweet!" Gumball pleaded with his brother. Darwin thought it over in his head for a brief moment.

"No, I'll tell Mom and Dad you're in detention again, but you better be home by nine."

"I'll be home for dinner." He promised and sped off.

"Gumball," Darwin called after him. "Please be careful, I can't almost lose my best friend again…"

"I got this dude!" Gumball called back and pulled his hood over his head. The junkyard became Gumball's home away from home, Darwin was the only one who knew of it, and it was simply his space. He ran through the gate and straight to the old abandoned shed he stayed in. With joy flooding over him he ripped the door open to expose his pride and joy. A 2002 Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 Drifter bike, in relatively stable condition, covered in make-shift repairs and small decals added by Gumball. "Hello beautiful," He said stroking the bike. "Alright, let's see," Gumball pulled out a diagram of the bike her got off the internet. "Looks like you need a new oil filter and some new brakes… Those shouldn't be too hard to find…" He said happily and began his hunt. He scanned through hundreds of parts, some that looked good, others that weren't, ultimately, it seemed his search for an oil filter was in vein but brakes were readily available.

He locked himself in his shed and began his little repairs, stopping only when nature called or when thirst demanded as much. It was his time to forget about the world, to be carefree and pay attention to one thing, his new found fascination with motorized bikes. Time seemed to forget itself as he worked, until he was snapped back to reality to his ringing phone. "Hello?" He answered from underneath the bike.

"Gumball!" Darwin's voice came. "Are you seeing this? Where are you, we'll come pick you up,"

"What are you talking about dude?" He asked trying to tighten a rusty bolt.

"The rain! It's fucking pouring…. Sorry Mom," He called off the phone. "Please tell me you're somewhere safe."

"I haven't noticed anything…" Gumball shrugged and got up from the floor. He opened the shed doors to the sight of the entire junkyard slowly filling with water and turning the ground to mud. "Oh… I see your point…" He said and a oil filter slowly floated on the water in front of him. "Seriously! I looked for this thing for two hours!" He picked it up and cursed.

"Well… are you safe there? It might be dangerous for us to come and get you right now."

"I'm fine, come get me when you can."

"Okay… You still have that broken mini fridge?"

"It's fixed now, but yes, I have it, and it has dinner in it."

"Okay, we'll get you as soon as we can."

"Chill out Darwin, I'm fine." Gumball said and hung up the phone. He chucked the phone on his broken down sofa and turned on a poorly wired T.V. at first all he received was static, but he hit it twice and a picture began to form. The weather man stood on screen pointing to parts of a map without words until the volume was turned up. "…See here that the storm doesn't look like it will stop anytime soon, flooding is expected and the mayor has advised people to find shelter."

"Great…" Gumball muttered plopping a meal into a 1995 microwave. "Well, looks like it's just me and you Lucy," He said referring to his bike. "I should get a junkyard dog…" He mumbled. Gumball sat on his couch, watching the only channel he got, the news, mindlessly eating his food. "Turning out attention away from the weather, it seems that there has been a rise in High School pregnancies," The anchorman said to his anchor woman.

"Yeah right, I think I would know if something like that was happening," Gumball mused.

"Though we were unable to get an interview from the principal, concerned parent groups have taken steps to ensure that students are well educated in taking care of children and preventing further incidents."

"You think they'd have better things to do than post false news reports, I don't even know anyone who's lost their virginity!" He yelled at the T.V. "I wonder how the storm is doing…" He investigated the door and pulled it open. Within seconds a massive amount of water poured and Gumball quickly closed it. Then for what appeared to be no reason at all, he opened it once again with the same result. "… I don't know what I expected…" He said to himself. Gumball passed out on the couch later that night, it wasn't the first time, it won't be the last he had to sleep there.

The morning sunlight danced on Gumball's face, he grumbled to himself before rolling off his sofa and onto the soaked, muddy ground. That woke him up pretty fast and he shot up and ran outside. The rain had ceased and enough water had collected in a tub for him to use it to clean himself off and put his clothes from yesterday back on. He check the time on his phone, "Aw… Shit," He sighed. "Ten minutes before class starts and I'm three miles away, Lucy!" He turned to his bike. "Time for a test ride!" He eagerly started the bike up and nothing blew up, he had gotten farther than last time and eagerly sped off. He rode with the wind in his face and all the bliss in the world, "Yahoooooo!" He screamed and ran the bike through a puddle to splatter water on the side walk. The wind whipped past his fur and he could feel his eye sockets stretching past his fast. The school building came into site, when an enormous pop went off and he slowed down until he came to a complete stop. "I can fix that," He said to himself and hopped off the bike and ran for the door. He pushed the door open so hard it practically went off the hinges and sprinted to class. There were only a few kids in the hallway but Gumball zipped past them and kicked in the door to his first class and took a seat next to Darwin.

"Dude, you look like you died," Darwin said to his heaving brother. Gumball put one finger up as he gasped for breathe and ultimately passed out on his desk.

"What's wrong with him?" Tobias asked from next to Darwin and he shrugged.

"I guess he's tired." Darwin said as Ms. Simian entered the classroom. "How in hell did we get her for a teacher the past three years?" He angrily whispered.

"Gumball!" The primate snapped and Gumball shot up from his desk. "Enjoying your nap?" She asked with fake enthusiasm.

"No, I had this really weird dream, there was an ugly monkey telling me to wake up… Oh wait, that's happening right now…" And Ms. Simian growled with hate.

"You're lucky the bell hasn't rung yet," Just as she said it, the bell started screaming. "There we go, detention for Mr. Watterson. Now class, the school board is worried you aren't being taught where children come from very well, so for the next three weeks we will have sex-ed courses, you don't get a choice in this, and we'll be starting right now." The whole class let out an obnoxious groan and slumped in their seats. "Now, who knows where babies come from?"

"Well, when a mommy and daddy love each other very much," Gumball sarcastically began but no one cut him off.

"Yes, Watterson, what happens then?" Ms. Simian evilly asked.

"Uh… They have sex?" He offered.

"You are half correct, you see, not everyone in here is the product of cellular reproduction, take this worthless student for example." Ms. Simian pointed to Leslie, "Leslie will probably never know who her parents are since—"

"Uh… Ms. Simian, I'm a boy," Leslie interrupted. "And I do know my parents, they're very happy together…"

"Do you want to spend detention with Mr. Watterson?" Ms. Simian asked.

"No…" Leslie said looking down.

"Good, now another oddity is Carrie," She said pointing to the ghost in the back and Carrie sat up straight.

"How does a ghost get pregnant?" Gumball asked Ms. Simian.

"I have no idea, perhaps you should ask her yourself if you're that curious, now onto educational videos from the eighties," And the whole class groaned again. Carrie turned away and was absently looking out the window; she couldn't care less about what was going on in the video, when a paper air plane flew right through her. She looked up to see its origin and saw Gumball looking back at her. "What?" She mouthed and he pointed to the paper airplane. She picked it up and quickly read over it, Gumball felt the plane crash against his head in a few seconds. He quickly opened it up and read her response.

"Mind your own damn business," It read. Gumball crumpled up the paper and threw it to a nearby trash can. The video didn't seem to be ending anytime soon, so Gumball nestled his head onto his desk and fell asleep. However it was only a fifteen minute video and as the video ended, Ms. Simian took the center of the class again.

"Now we shall begin your first class project," That received a raised eyebrow from several members of class. "Please choose a partner of the opposite gender," Ms. Simian ordered. There was a few moments of stillness and awkward silence until everybody burst into a partner finding frenzy. As the class settled down with their new found partners, Ms. Simian took a visual roll call. "Does anybody not have a partner?" She asked and noticed Carrie in the back, her head phones blaring through her body and Gumball asleep on his desk. "Carrie!" Ms. Simian barked and Carrie obediently took out her head phones and stood at attention.

"Yes?" She asked and started to notice everyone was in a different seat than before.

"Do you have a partner?" Ms. Simian asked.

"… I work better by myself," She tried.

"I respect that, but this isn't my call to make, does anyone else not have a partner?" She asked and looked at the sleeping Gumball. "Watterson!" She screeched at him and he fell out of his chair. "Who is your partner?"

"… Invisible Bob?" Gumball tiredly said.

"Invisible Bob hasn't been to school in three months… Or he has and just hasn't said anything… Plus he is a boy, now since Carrie doesn't have a partner either, you two shall be put together,"

"Great…" Gumball grumbled. "Can you pair me with someone who actually, you know, likes me?"

"Shut it Watterson!" Ms. Simian said again. "Now, this first week you shall practice communication with your partner, I want you here by tomorrow with personal information memorized and one thing you accomplished together,"

"But… Ms. Simian, if you're partnering us up and telling us to stay with one person for an entire day… Isn't that promoting sexual behavior? On that note, wouldn't it be more effective if we just had a talk with our parents about this stuff? It's not like it's the school's fault if someone makes a bad choice and has to live with the consequences." Darwin said very thoughtfully.

"Shut it!" Ms. Simian screeched and ordered everybody out. Gumball dragged himself outside waited for Carrie to come outside. She floated out and carelessly approached to him.

"Here's my basic information, memorize it and make up some bullshit thing we did together, I'll see you tomorrow," She said dryly.

"Wait, don't you need my information?"

"No," She said and kept floating to her next class. Gumball looked over the note card. Favorite color: Black, Favorite activity: Poetry, Favorite music: Punk rock/ Alternative metal, the list went on an on. "Shit, I could have told you this stuff without a note card." He walked past Darwin and Masami, Darwin looked to be on the verge of killing himself as Masami chatted on. He grabbed Gumball by his jacket and pulled him close.

"Save… me…" Darwin whispered.

"Sorry dude, let it happen once, shame on me, twice? Shame on you," Gumball grinned and kept walking to his next class.

When the final bell rang Gumball made his way back to Ms. Simian's class for detention, the hallways were filled with the new sex ed program couples, some couldn't be more pleased, others… Not so much. Gumball pushed the door open and took went to his normal seat, only to find Carrie filling it.

"Uh… Hey," He said nervously.

"Don't ask," She said referring to her detention.

"Didn't say I was going to," and he took a seat next to her. There were several other students present, but all were silent and Gumball didn't recognize any of them as being there before. "You know, I already knew most of this stuff," Gumball said to her.

"Good for you," She said opening a book to read. Gumball awkwardly nodded off, looking around to room, Mr. Brown was heading the detention, but was on the phone at the moment, no doubt speaking to Ms. Simian.

"Alright Carrie, can we just talk?" Gumball offered, she sighed and closed her book.

"About what?"

"I don't know, I wouldn't mind getting to know you better," He shrugged.

"I tried being friendly to you guys, it didn't go well,"

"What? Why not? I've done nothing to you," He defended himself and Carrie sighed again.

"No, I guess you haven't aside from a few insults here and there… Very well, what do you want to know?"

"Where were you born?"

"In a grave," Carrie answered curtly.

"Parents?" Gumball asked again.

"I don't know who they are or where they are, I have a Grandmother,"

"What's she like?"

"Distant and self absorbed," Her answers came so quickly, it was like she ran them through her head everyday.

"Okay… What's your dream job?"

"Writer,"

"Jesus, could you sound like you're having any less fun?"

"I'm not having fun, I'm completing an assignment, and I will get a good grade on this stupid project one way or another."

"Okay, sorry… Don't you need to know things about me?"

"I've seen you around the school, I'm pretty sure I know you," She answered still without looking at him.

"Oh yeah? What's my favorite T.V. Show?"

"You watch T.V. out of boredom, you watch whatever is on and prefer a video game with your brother." She answered without thinking.

"… You can't read people's minds can you?" He asked suspiciously.

"Of course not, you're just not very hard to figure out,"

"And you're rude…" He said under his breath. "I'm sorry you got me as a partner I guess…"

"I'm not, it's nice to have someone who I don't have to put any effort in to understand."

"Hey, I'm pretty interesting once you get to know me," Gumball defended himself but Carrie paid no mind to him. "Mr. Brown, it's been an hour, can I take my leave?" Carrie asked their principal and he sprung up from his phone.

"Oh, uh, yes of course, dismissed everyone." All the students filled out and headed for their homes. Gumball caught up to Carrie afterwards and stood in front of her.

"It hadn't been an hour… Plus we were supposed to be there for three…"

"He wasn't paying attention, I did you a favor, do you want to go home or not?"

"Well… I have some free time since my parents think I'm in detention, maybe I could see your house?"

"You've seen my house," She said deadpanned.

"Has it changed at all?"

"No," With that she flew through Gumball, sending shivers up his spine and continued on her way. Gumball stood a minute longer before heading to where he left his bike. When he returned to it, it was in significantly worse shape than when he left it, pieces were missing, both tires were now popped, and the headlights hung by a string of wires.


	2. Chapter 2

"God damnit…" He said lowly and began walking the bike back to the junkyard. "Stupid Carrie, I was just trying to be nice… 'I was born in a grave,' what the fuck does that tell me… I miss the old Carrie… The one who took us to a Halloween party and Darwin kissed, what the hell happened to her, not like her puppy died, she could just bring it back as a ghost!" Gumball continued to swear to himself as he walked and stored his bike back in the shed, then headed back home.

He pushed open the door, still quietly grumbling to himself, all the way to the dinner table and sat himself down with his already seated family. "Hello Gumball," His mother greeted.

"Hi," Gumball pleasantly said and returned to his sour mood; continuing in his grumbling. His whole family watched in confusion as he angrily cut his piece of meat and stuffed it in his mouth. "Please pass the salt," He said once again in a pleasant tone.

"Something wrong Gumball?" Anais said with her arms folded.

"What? No, why would you think that." Gumball replied and reached for the salt himself.

"You just seem a little, distracted…" His mother tried.

"Huh…." Gumball sighed, "It's just Carrie and this stupid project, it's not like a chose to be her partner… She could be a little nicer to me."

"I thought Carrie was your friend?" His father asked.

"She used to be… Then she just started to cut people out of her life… I don't know." And his mother nodded in understanding,

"I think Carrie needs a friend, now more than ever," Nicole spoke with such wisdom, it seemed she know exactly what Gumball was talking about. He was quiet for a time and considered her words.

"Maybe…" Was all he said, the rest of dinner continued with light conversation, but Gumball didn't contribute, he never put much thought into Carrie since she stopped talking to him, no one did, he supposed. Come to think of it, he only knew the basic information she'd given him, Carrie never really talked about herself, she used to hide behind her smile never revealing too much about herself. When dinner ended, Gumball made his way to his room and sat on his bed thought his eyes weren't heavy yet.

Darwin came later and sat himself down in his fishbowl when he noticed his brother's contemplative expression and poked his head out once again. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, yeah," He said without really looking at his brother. "It's just… When Carrie talked to us, what did we know about her?"

"Well…" Darwin rubbed his chin. "She was emo, and nice, and she couldn't eat, and she was born a ghost, and…" He stopped and grew a concerned look. "And… That's about all I can think of…"

"Maybe she does just need a friend," Gumball said lowly.

"Could we focus on the issue of me, somehow ending up with Masami again…"

"How did you manage that?" He asked with a slight chuckle.

"I don't know!" Darwin cried out. "She just was there all of a sudden, saying 'Darwin, you're my partner' and I thought, eh, it's probably only like a research project not like I have to kiss her again, but this is so much worse than kissing her!"

"Sucks for you dude,"

"Thanks… I'll remember this…" Darwin snidely said and went back into his bowl. Gumball chuckled to himself a laid down on his bed. He mindlessly starred at the bunk above him, simply not wanting to sleep. His mind was too busy, too many thoughts, how well did he know Carrie?

Gumball's alarm went off and sent him off his bed with a thud as he scrambled on the floor to find it. Eventually his paw landed on the noise maker and he pounded it as hard as he could in attempts to silence it until the noise ceased. He dragged himself to the shower, half asleep and impatient. Reaching the shower, only to be behind Anais in line to use the shower next.

"Who's in there now?" He asked his little sister.

"Dad," she replied with a grim expression.

"Craaaap," Gumball groaned and slid his hand down his face. Eventually their mother joined them in line, then Darwin, still no sign of their father exiting the shower anytime soon. Anais began sleeping on the wall, Gumball was impatiently tapping his foot and it didn't look good to get to school on time. Eventually, Gumball had enough. "I'm done with this!" He shouted and kicked the door in to reveal their sleeping father with the water running over him. "Dad!" And the pink rabbit stirred.

"Huh? Oh, hi son, how's it going?" His father said cheerily.

"Not great… I'm going to be late for school,"

"Why's that?" Gumball didn't give any response, but simply growled lowly. "Oh… Right, sorry about that, I'll just… Go back to my room and get dressed."

"Good idea," Gumball said with anger practically burning off his head.

"Dude, chill out, it's just school, we're usually a little late," Darwin tried to ease his brother.

"Yeah… I just wanna get this stupid project thing over…" He muttered a response.

"What project?" Their mother asked from behind them.

"School's doing this stupid thing to teach us how to act around the opposite gender and prevent teen pregnancies." Gumball said and entered the shower ahead of his sister.

"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard of, and I listened to Darwin's theory of faster than light travel, that will probably cause more pregnancies!" Anais cried.

"That's what I said!" Darwin agreed. "Hey, supersonic bird sleds are going to happen and when they do, I'll be there to say I told you so," Anais rolled her eyes at him. "Wait, wasn't Gumball behind you?"

"Dang it Gumball!" Anais pounded the bathroom door.

Despite all odds, the Watterson children made it school with seconds to spare, Gumball and Darwin tiredly took their seats. The room was alive with gossip, rumors and other activities the students had involved themselves in until Ms. Simian took the center of the room. "Welcome back, are you all prepared to share your partner's information?" Gumball silently thanked God, a sharing day would be easy to sleep through. So it began, mindless idiots running through rehearsed lines of their partner, some were bad, others were worse, Gumball found Darwin's the most amusing though.

"…And that is why, my partner, Masami, is bestest, nicest, coolest, prettiest and sweetest girl out there." He recited, his eyes looked to be on the verge of popping out of his skull.

"Thank you Darwin," Masami said. "And this is my partner, Darwin, he's a fish." And left it open for more, but nothing came. They both sat down after their introductions, Darwin inhaling heavily.

"Dude, aren't you breathing oxygen right now?" Gumball asked him.

"I don't give a shit about physics right now!" Darwin quickly said back and continued his breathing.

"Gumball and Carrie, you're next." Carrie floated up and waited for Gumball, they stood side by side, Carrie retaining her expressionless face and Gumball appearing to not care in the slightest.

"This is my new friend Gumball," Carrie began without changing her expression. "He's a fifteen year old cat, with the most positive outlook on life one could imagine, he finds creative solutions to simple problems, cares for his family, has a giant crush on Penny Fitzgerald, and I'd feel bad saying that if the whole school didn't already know. I could tell you his hobbies, but they change too often to keep track of, the only thing that stays the same is his friendship with his Fish Brother, and I am pleased to call him my friend." Carrie finished with a confident smirk that wordlessly told Gumball to 'beat that' and he stared for a second, before quickly thinking of something to top her statement.

"This is Carrie Booregard," He started off and thought for a quick second before continuing. "She's a thoughtful, intelligent and has an insult for every occasion, sure her outlook on life could be better, but hey, when the only feeling available is sadness, it's hard to not see things in a different light, she doesn't like to talk about herself because she prefers to let others talk as she blends into the background. Once you get her talking though, you discover she's the most selfless person on the planet and enjoys literary arts and eating." Gumball finished with defiant grin and looked back at Carrie.

"Not bad…" She said and they took their seats again. Ms. Simian seemed surprised by their knowledge of each other, and had no words.

"You must have been up all night texting Carrie!" Darwin chimed.

"Actually, I made it all up… I think… That's just who she seems to be is all…" Gumball said quietly and nestled his head back into his arms to sleep in class.

"Then… How did Carrie know all that stuff about you?" Darwin asked.

"Maybe I'm that awesome," He said without opening an eye.

"Or maybe she cares for you more than you know, maybe she likes you,"

"Don't be ridiculous dude, she doesn't want me, she like smart guys or… Emo guys, I don't know, Carrie does not want a blue idiot for a boyfriend."

"If you say so…" Darwin softly said. Gumball slept through the rest of the presentations, he guessed they were awful, his mind wouldn't leave what Darwin said alone. What if Carrie did care for him? The counter argument would have been, she cut him out of her life, so she probably doesn't, but her knowledge of Gumball was surprising. The bell woke Gumball up, time for lunch. The Watterson brothers walked out of the class room, Darwin smiling behind him and Gumball still stuck in his thoughts.

"Gumball," Carrie said in front of him. "I'm guessing you were asleep when Ms. Simian assigned us the next part of this thing correct?"

"Wait there's more to this stupid thing?" He shot out of his head.

"Afraid so, I will be at you house for the parent signatures at nine, I don't need to actually talk to your parents, just get them to sign this piece of paper." Carrie said quickly.

"Wait… What's going on?" Gumball asked becoming fully awake.

"We were assigned to meet our partner's family, now you don't want to meet my family and I have already met yours, so—"

"I want to meet your family," He said interrupting her.

"Excuse me?" She asked in disbelief.

"I want; follow me so far? To meet, your family." Gumball restated.

"Why on Earth would you want that?" She said. "I thought you hated this thing as much as I do,"

"I do, but, maybe it'd be good for our friendship." He said with a sincere smile.

"You don't want to be friends with me," She said dryly. "No, I won't let you meet them." Carrie turned her head away.

"Then I won't let mine, sign your slip, and then you'll fail the project and have to do it all over again, maybe with someone you can't figure out in two seconds." He playfully threatened. Carrie silently weighed her options until she wrote something on a piece of paper.

"Here's my address, you show up one second before, or after seven and I swear I'll bring you down with me." She said menacingly and flew away.

"Dude, what the hell is wrong with you, Carrie's going to kill you, you don't even show up to dessert on time!" Darwin warned his brother but Gumball's eyes tracked Carrie through the hall. "Gumball?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry, I'll be fine, come on, let's get food." Gumball led Darwin to the relatively empty Cafeteria. Most students went off campus for lunch, but the lack of a vehicle shackled Gumball and Darwin to stay. They took their seats without a word and began eating their slop.

"Are you okay?" Darwin asked looking into Gumball's eyes for signs of sickness.

"Yeah, it's just… Do you think Carrie knew that stuff about me?"

"Why?"

"Because, no one has said that about me… I mean, I don't ask a lot of people what they think of me, and it was probably just garbage for the project, but, no one has called me creative, stupid; sure, but never creative…" Gumball trailed off.

"You're not okay, maybe we should see the nurse," Darwin called and began unsuccessfully pulling Gumball's tail out of where he sat. The rest of the day proceeded as normal, dull classes, uneventful teachers, homework that Gumball could finish in class; he was more like Anais than he let on. By the time school was out, all Gumball was thinking of the question of Carrie. He and Darwin agreed to take the rest of the day off at Gumball's shed, it was time for him to clear his head.

Gumball shoved the broken door open and approached his broken down bike. Darwin took a seat on the couch and turned on the old game console that somehow managed to still function. The shed was quiet for some time, the only noises being the turning ratchet in Gumball's hand or the laser fire from Darwin's game. "Are you still thinking about what Carrie said?" Darwin asked, pausing his game.

"No!" Gumball instantly called back. "Yes…" Came a later response.

"Do you… Do you like Carrie?"

"Like, I like her or I like her?" Gumball asked.

"Like, you like her but you like, like her like her."

"No, no, no, I think, what was your question?"

"Are you attracted to Carrie!?" Darwin snapped.

"Oh, no, I just want to understand her, it's completely different. Remember me? Gumball, the guy who is head over heels for Penny?" Gumball said and the sound of heavy piece of metal breaking went off. "Fuck…" Was all he said in response.

"Okay… Well be careful tonight okay?"

"I'll be fine, now come help me clean up this oil leak."

Darwin opened and shut the door to his house. Mr. Dad was on the couch asleep, per usual. Anais and Mrs. Mom were in the kitchen working on homework when Mrs. Mom looked up to him. "Welcome home for the weekend Darwin." She smiled. "Where's Gumball?"

"He's uh… Completing part of that project, we have to introduce our partners to our family's…" Darwin uncomfortably began. "So um… Mrs. Mom, Mr. Dad, Anais, this is Masami." The little cloud showed herself.

"Hello there," Nicole said pleasantly.


	3. Chapter 3

Gumball compared the number written on the paper to the houses he walked past. All the houses looked very normal, much like his house but there was a house of questionable intent coming up. "2067," He read from a house. "2076, 2086," He said nearing the creepy house. Crows swirled above it, dark clouds plagued the sides and all the windows were smashed. The front yard was a grave yard and the front door was broken off. "2096," He read from the menacing house and looked back down at his paper. He looked over one more house, it was pleasant and mundane, "Oh, there it is, 2017." He quickly walked towards it and knocked on the door. There was no response initially and Gumball checked the house one more time. He went to knock one more time when the door flung open with a very surprised Carrie.

"You actually came and on time no less?" She remarked.

"Hey, I arrive on time when I want to," Gumball defended himself.

"Well… I didn't expect you to come, so come in I guess," Carrie whisked herself back inside. Gumball stepped through the door, her home was very similar to his, aside from a hallway leading to the living room and it constantly smelled like old people. A picture frame hung high in the living room of a grim looking woman, her eyes squint, her nose long, she looked like a witch. Gumball stood in the living room, alone, and trying to take in as much of her house as he could the most ghostly thing was a rocking chair that never seemed to stop rocking. Which, wasn't all that scary, there was very little evidence of a ghost living here at all.

Carrie entered the room with a tray of lemonade and an apron on. Gumball looked at her with a puzzled expression. "You cook?" He asked.

"Not well…" She said lowly. "I thought this would service as drinks, is there something else you want?"

"No, this is great." Gumball smiled and took a glass. "So… Where's your family?"

"That's Grandma over there," Carrie pointed to the rocking chair. "And… That's it, she's the only one here, I love her with all my heart, and you can leave now, right?" She asked with anticipation.

"Why are you so worried about people meeting your family?" He asked and walked to the rocking chair that never ceased. "Hi,"

"Scram runt," A cricked voice came from the rocking chair and a woman who resembled the one in the painting appeared.

"I'm Gumball," He introduced.

"Good for you, now leave me alone."

"Jesus, does grouchiness run in the family?" He said turning back to Carrie.

"I guess so, since we're the only Booregards I know of." She shrugged. "Satisfied?"

"I don't think she'll sign my slip…"

"I can forge her hand writing pretty well, come on, let's go into the kitchen." She bobbed her head towards the kitchen and flew back to it. Gumball shortly followed and stood in awe of the mess that was Carrie's kitchen. Food was splattered across every wall, things were burned, nothing short of a tornado could cause this type of damage. Carrie floated at the counter with a pen cap in her mouth quickly filled in the blanks. Gumball didn't want to admit it, but the way she floated so peacefully among the chaos, with her small black apron on and frazzled hair covering her one eye, he could swear she looked cute.

"There you go," Carrie said handing the slip back to him. "Now, since I have no time to meet your parents—"

"Sure your do, it's the weekend, what else are you going to do?"

"Look at this kitchen Gumball, I have to clean before…" She trailed off. "I can't leave, please just go."

"Carrie, I don't know if you know, but we're teenagers, we excel at doing what we're not supposed to."

"No, you do Gumball, you're excellent at being your own person, I don't, and I have to stay here." She said defiantly and Gumball was silent for a time; he looked around the floor gathering thoughts.

"Back in class… What you said about me, did you mean it or was it all for the grade?"

"What?" She asked with a nonexistent eyebrow raised.

"Everything you said about me… No one has ever spoken of me so highly, and if it was just for the project, that's fine, but I felt like maybe there was more to it."

"I…" Carrie paused, choosing her next words carefully. "It was just for this project." She said refusing to look Gumball in the eye.

"Oh…" He said dropping his shoulders. "Well, then you are one hell of a story teller," He added with a fake smile. "I'll go home now, get out of your hair; do many people tell you that your hair style is cute?"

"No?" Carrie answered not expecting the question.

"They should, it looks good." Gumball said and left the house. When she heard the door close, Carrie starred at the door for a time, just watching where he had been.

"Please don't go," She said with a slight sob to her departed house guest.

Gumball walked home as the sun set on Elmore, angrily grumbling to himself. "Of course it was just for the project, you got your hopes up, like what? What were you expecting? that Carrie saw you as a friend? Why would she? Not like you're very special… Wait…" He stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. "Why did I get my hopes up? I don't like Carrie… I think I don't like Carrie… No, I just want to understand her, that's all," He reassured himself and kept walking. "She just doesn't like you, you were stupid and thought there was more there, but there wasn't, you can't be mad at her—"Gumball smacked his head against something. He looked up to see a brick wall in the middle of the sidewalk with a concerned look on its face. "What the hell is your problem?" He furiously asked.

"I'm sorry, I'm a brick wall," The wall said.

"Huh, never mind, I'm just taking my anger out on you."

"Wanna talk about it?"

"I don't need a brick wall to put my life in perspective!" Gumball shouted and ran around it. By the time he made it home, the sun had gone down and stars decorated the sky. Everything seemed to stop and silence filled the air. Gumball tiredly latched onto the door knob and pushed it in to reveal his family sitting on the couch and Masami talking in front of them. Confused, Gumball walked in front of the couch to see his family's faces. His mother and Anais wore tired eyes and the biggest fake smiles he'd ever seen them in, his father was asleep with painted eyelids and Darwin seemed to be writing something on a piece of paper. Gumball took a seat next to him and read off his shoulder.

"Darwin's Last Will and Testament," It read and Gumball rolled his eyes. He looked to Masami, chatting away, but he mainly tuned her out, which was easy while his mind still buzzed about Carrie. It only took ten minutes of her unrelenting words before Gumball climbed back off the couch and walked up stares. "I'm going to bed," He said as he past his Mom.

"Okay dear, make sure to brush your teeth," His mother said without flinching from her exaggerated smile. Gumball sighed to himself and flopped onto his bed, feeling deflated and simply wishing the tomorrow would come.

"She must be so alone…" He said into his pillow."No one should be alone," That sentence got him thinking, she pushed him away but maybe it wasn't her choice, perhaps there is more than to her than an emo ghost. Regardless of her situation, he knew what he must do. "Carrie Booregard, you shall be my friend once again, if my name is Gumball Watterson!" And he fell back into sleep.

"Shut up! I'm talking about me!" Masami's voice came from down stairs.

The sun didn't shine in the morning; thick clouds covered the sky, not a promising sign. Gumball stirred out of bed, more rested than usual, but he was by no means a morning person. He threw on some jeans and his hooded jacket before making his way downstairs, to find his entire family asleep on the couch. Masami was gone, but it was clear she continued talking long after Gumball went to sleep. He put a sticky note on his Dad's nose and quietly slipped out the door and headed for his junkyard shed. He walked without paying much attention to his steps, his mind was busy other places.

'Okay, something nice for Carrie… What does she like, uh… she like reading, and… eating, but she can't eat without a body, maybe I could give her my body again… No, I just got in shape; I'd really like to keep my form, what do friends do… Video games, laser tag those seem to be out of the question, maybe we… Just, hang out and talk.' That idea seemed to fit the situation the best, Carrie just needed someone to talk to. So he changed his course to Carrie's house and walked with a bit more purpose in his step.

Carrie's house looked just as it did when he was there yesterday, normal, the only difference being a car parked in the drive way that wasn't there last night. He cheerily walked to the door and went to knock when it the screen door flew open and swatted him on the nose. "Ow…" He said, his voice nasally.

"Gumball?" Carrie said from the doorway. "What the hell are you doing here," Her voice wasn't cruel or cold, just tired.

"I came to ask if you… I don't know, wanted to hang out or… Something?"

"I really can't right now Gumball, I have to go to the super market and pick up—"

"I'll come with you," He said without thinking.

"Why would you want to do that?" She asked dryly.

"Because I'm crazy," He shrugged.

"Well I'm glad we agree on something, okay you can come, but you have to help me find things,"

"Deal."

Carrie floated through the windshield of the car and her tail formed into pale legs while she waited for Gumball, who quickly strapped himself in next to.

"You have legs now?" He asked making little effort to discreetly observe her.

"Among other things, Ghost puberty is a hell of a thing… Is there some part of the project I missed?" She asked as the car pulled onto the street.

"No," He answered simply.

"Then why did you want to 'hang out'?"

"How could I stay away from your charming personality, pale skin and flat chest?" Carrie didn't respond and Gumball was horrified he'd upset her.

"I can hear Jealousy plotting your down fall with Penny as we speak." She replied with a small smile playing on her lips. "How is your love life fairing?"

"I…" Gumball began proudly but lost his train of thought. "I have no idea… Penny is—"

"A giant peanut," Carrie offered.

"She is indeed a giant peanut," Gumball laughed. "But I mean, cheer leader, popular, likes to text… I just don't connect with her anymore, it's not like I don't like her, I'm just, not as attracted to her as I used to be,"

"Well, color me surprised," She mused.

"Eh, you look good in white, I think I'll leave you as you are, how about you and the men?"

"I'm a sixteen year old ghost; I don't exactly have boys knocking down my door,"

"Yeah, they're all get caught in your needle laced screen door." Carrie laughed uneasily at that, she was keeping something from him, but prying probably wouldn't be the best idea. "Here we go… Alright, I need," She said pulling a list out of nowhere. "Seven bags of different chips, salsa, chocolate and cherry ice cream tubs, and—"

"Wait, wait, Carrie, why are you grocery shopping? You can't eat anything," Gumball asked. Carrie looked around the car nervously, opening and closing her mouth for lack of words.

"It's for the homeless?" She offered and Gumball simply stared at her, wordlessly asking, 'seriously?' "Just… Go with it, please?"

"Only because you said please…" Gumball faked anger. "What else do you need?"

"Uh… Fajita meat and tortillas, along with lettuce, onion, assorted peppers and so forth," She read the rest and caused the list vanish again.

"Wow, are you having a Mexican party tonight?"

"… Yes?"

"When did you become so bad at lying? Alright, let's go get your stuff." Gumball said and pushed his door open. "I wonder if Larry works here too…"

"It's Larry," Carrie said catching up to him. "He works everywhere,"

"Fair enough," He shrugged and found a shopping cart. "Alright, you get the junk food, I'll get the taco stuff,"

"Fajita," She corrected,

"Whatever, on your marks get set go!" He shouted and took off with the shopping cart, riding the back of it.

"Gumball the-!" Carrie began until Gumball crashed into an aisle.

"I'm okay!" He reported and sped off once again.

Twenty minutes later; a bruised Gumball stood at the checkout line, his eye swollen, his clothes dirty, he didn't look well. However, he had successfully acquired all Carrie's food under two minutes and had been waiting for eighteen. Carrie floated up to him with a side cart holding assortments of junk food and ice cream.

"I like what you've done with your face," She giggled to herself.

"Say what you will, but I won,"

"We weren't competing,"

"Doesn't matter, I won." Gumball restated. Carrie rolled her eyes and a wallet appeared in her hand.

"Damnit…" She cursed. "Gumball, I don't suppose you get an allowance… Do you?"

"No, why?"

"I'm a bit short on cash at the moment." Carrie admitted.

"Got you covered," He said pleasantly and removed a wallet from his back pocket and took out a fifty dollar bill.

"Dear God, where the hell do you work and can I sign up?" Her mouth gaped.

"Oh, I don't have an official job, I do things for people who don't know how, I fix cars, motor cycles, sometime I cook for people."

"You can cook?" She asked with a small smile.

"Did no one see my grade in Home Ec.?" His ego slightly deflated. "Yes, I can cook, and I'm pretty fantastic at it."

"And so humble,"

"I also work children's parties,"

"Doing what?" She asked, holding back a laugh. Gumball mumbled something she could understand and turned to pay Larry. "What was that?"

"I said I…canmakeballonanimals." He said quickly, receiving his change.

"One more time,"

"I, can make, balloon animals." He huffed out and Larry burst into laughter. "Screw you Larry, I bet I make more than you do in week!" That shut Larry up pretty quickly. Gumball followed Carrie back to her car and loaded everything in.

They took their seats in the car in silence, Gumball humming a happy tune. Carrie looked over to him for a second before returning her gaze to the road. "Thank you," She said reluctantly.

"Hey, you know me, I'm a great guy." Gumball put his hands behind his head. Suddenly the car dead stopped and Gumball's head smacked against the dashboard.

"Whoops," Carrie said with an evil grin.

"I feel as if you enjoyed that," He said from the floor.

"Me? Enjoy you in pain? You insult me," his nose dripping blood. "Oh shit!" Carrie gasped. "Dude you need to go the doctor or—"She was cut off by Gumball laughing, laughing to the point of tears.

"That was awesome!" He cheered wiping the blood away.

"You are one strange cat…" Carrie shook her head wearing a simple smile. It was almost noon when she shifted back into park at her little suburban house. Gumball hopped out and headed to help unload when Carrie blocked his way to the trunk.

"Carrie, I can't help you put groceries in the house if I can't get to the groceries."

"That's okay," She said nervously. "I think I can get it from here, I really appreciate the help, but you can go home now."

"Did I do something wrong?" He asked confused by her sudden mood change.

"No! God no, this was actually a lot of fun, but just… please let me do this by myself,"

"Alright, if you insist…" Gumball turned to walk away but stopped after a few steps. "For the record," He turned back to her. "I am very well aware that you are hiding something from me, and I fully intend to find out what it is." He called and kept walking.

"Wait, that's it?" Carrie called after him and he turned again. "You're not going to ask what it is?"

"You'll tell me on your terms, until then, I'll see you around." Gumball waved goodbye and kept walking. "Don't ever change your hair!" Was his final note.


	4. Chapter 4

Carrie stared after him, the smile refusing to leave her face. She turned back to her car's trunk and put a hand on the bumper, until it fell off the little car. "Crap…" Carrie muttered and dragged the food into the house. She threw the bags on the kitchen table and flew back into the living room where her Grandmother sat.

"That cat guy is cute, where'd you find him?" She asked in her tired voice.

"He's an old friend… One I should've been better too…" Carrie answered flipping her hair to readjust it.

"You should probably tie that back, you know Charon is home." Her Grandmother warned. "You know he doesn't like—"

"My hair to cover my eye, yeah I know…" Carrie recited the words like she'd heard them one hundred times, probably because she had and tired her hair into a tail behind her head. The sound of foots teps came from upstairs and soon they were quickly moving down the stairs. The feet belonged to Charon, the vampirical ghoul that was the only reason the Booregards could keep their house and Carrie's boyfriend. She sighed in disgust as she felt him approach her and place his hand on her shoulder.

"Hello Carrie," He said in his sly voice, and she did not resist his touch, no matter how much she wanted to.

"Hi," Carrie shivered.

"You were gone for some time, where were you?" His voice promised goodness and trust, but that couldn't be further from the truth.

"Just getting the food you wanted,"

"For three hours? That seems a little suspicious, perhaps I'll require a gesture of your faithfulness to me tonight."

"I will not sleep with you," She tried to remain strong.

"So you always say, but the only reason you haven't is because I haven't asked hard enough, if I truly desired your virginity, sweet Carrie, I'd simply threaten to take away funding for you and your dear old Grandma."

"You're a sick bastard," Carrie's grandmother said from her chair.

"How can you say that, I've given you a home, money, and all I ask in return is your grand daughter's love, and she still refuses to accept my love," He snaked his fingers around Carrie's chin and made her face him. "Now say thank you for my love," Scornfully, Carrie swallowed her pride.

"Thank you…"

"Good, now after you make my dinner you shall meet me in our bedroom, to ease my stress." And with that he was gone again. Carrie wrapped herself in her arms and slid down the wall.

"Well, don't just sit around child, he needs that food." Her Grandma called.

"I miss Mom and Dad…" Carrie murmured.

"Well they're not here anymore, and that ghoul up there is the only thing standing between us and the street so off to the kitchen with you."Carrie nodded at her words and picked herself up from the floor.

Gumball had made it to his shed and was happily working on Lucy, humming to himself. He hadn't been so happy for awhile, something about seeing Carrie smile was so thrilling, to know that he made a girl who only knows pain laugh, nothing felt better. He took a step back to admire his newly complete bike and stood proud. Though it retained its rusty color, painting it would prove to be the easiest part of the job. Then his buzzing cell phone cut through the silence, and he leaped to grab it before the message came up. "This is Gumball," He answered quickly.

"Hey Gumball…" Carrie's voice came from the other line.

"My pale friend, what can I do for you?"

"Don't call me that… Look, today… Today shouldn't have happened, and I want you to be safe so—"

"Stop, stop, I know where this is going, that thing you can't tell me about doesn't like us hanging out and it's easier to just make me think you don't like me than tell me the truth… That about right?" He said confidently and Carrie was silent for a few moments.

"Yeah… I'm sorry, I like hanging out with you, but it's better this way, okay?" She said, clearly not enjoying the conversation topic.

" It's not okay by any means," Gumball said firmly. "I don't care what the hazards are to my personal health, I will be your friend Carrie,"

"It's not that easy—"

"Nothing worth fighting for is easy, but I don't think anyone has fought for you, it's time someone did."

"Stop it!" Carrie screamed. "Stop it, stop… Doing that, you don't mean any of it, I'm nothing special and you have better things to do, so just... just go back to trying to get into Penny's shell!" She snapped and hung up. Gumball set the phone down and contemplated the last minutes of his life. He began to doubt himself, what if he was just messing up Carrie's life? He went back to his phone and asked Darwin to meet him at his shed and he went back to Lucy. He had no vision at the moment for her, he just saw rusty old bike, trying to be new.

Darwin arrived to find a very thoughtful Gumball, sitting on his sofa and staring at a blank T.V. "Gumball?" Darwin asked from the doorway and his brother perked up.

"Darwin, come here, we need to talk,"

"I know where baby fish come from Gumball…" Darwin said a little insulted.

"Not today, I wanted to talk about Carrie,"

"What about her?"

"What do you think could scare her?" And Darwin put on a puzzled expression so Gumball elaborated. "I think she's scared of something in her house and she's been pushing people away to protect them from it, so—"

"Dude… Why are you trying so hard for her?" Darwin interrupted.

"What? Wouldn't you want me to try to be there for you?"

"Well… Yeah, but we're brothers, what's Carrie? Barely a friend, you never put this much thought into understand Penny, just impressing her."

"I don't want to date Carrie, I just want to be there for her,"

"So you want to date her?"

"I like, literally just said I didn't." Gumball said a little annoyed.

"I know what you said, but that's different than what you meant." Darwin explained but Gumball didn't seem to get it. "Alright, here's a test, describe Carrie,"

"She's… She's thoughtful, and kind, but she'd never show it, her dry humor is fantastic, but she also can be forceful when she needs to be, she's gorgeous and when she grew those legs… Dear god that girl has some ass, so I'm going to add hot to that list and—"He stopped when he noticed Darwin's smirk. "What?

"You didn't catch onto any of that? Dude, you're head over heels for her."

"I am not; you're just misreading my admiration for her as attraction." Gumball reaffirmed.

"And I thought I was dense…" Darwin said to himself. "Before you help Carrie, try to figure out why you want to help her, okay?"

"Don't be ridiculous, now are you going to help me, help Carrie or not?"

"Huh… Fine, we'll go help Carrie, but not today, Mom and Dad are already pretty mad that you left while we were asleep."

"How long did Masami stay?"Gumball asked with a little chuckle.

"I fell asleep around one in the morning and Anais said she fell asleep an hour after me… So… Your guess is as good as mine." Darwin turned to leave but didn't hear Gumball behind him, he turned back to see his brother admiring his bike with big eyes. Gumball looked to Darwin and mouthed 'please?' "Fine… We can take the bike…"

"Yes!" Gumball cheered and eagerly climbed on. "Come Darwin! This shall be our greatest moment, yet!"

"Don't you have a helmet?" Darwin asked sitting himself behind his brother.

"I'm working on it, now, let's ride!" And in seconds the bike was off, speeding through the streets. Darwin clutched his brother's waist out of sheer terror, as Gumball continued to manically laugh. Doughnut Sharif sat in his car with his radar gun ready when the sound of laughter came from his left side. He turned to look and in a split second a bike zoomed past, he read his radar gun only to see an 'error' displayed.

"They were probably within the speed limit…" He said withdrawing a little more into his seat. The bike came to a screeching halt outside the Watterson house and Gumball popped off, with pride radiating from him.

"Wasn't that awesome?" He turned to Darwin, clutching the seat and his face slightly blown back and his eyes close to out of their sockets.

"Gumball…" He said recomposing himself. "That was the coolest thing ever!" They shared a high five and headed inside. "I've never gone so fast in my life… It was like, ZOOM!" Darwin continued his praise. They entered to find their tired mother on the couch, half asleep, and their father next to her, providing her with a pillow in the form of his fluffy body.

"Hey Dad," Gumball whispered.

"Hi son, there's some dinner in the fridge," He whispered back and slowly picked their mother up in both arms. "I'm gonna put her in our room."

"Kay," Darwin said following Gumball to the kitchen. "Where's Anais?"

"She's spending the night at a friend's house,"

"Alright," Gumball took a seat and Darwin sat next to him. "We have to come up with something to show Carrie we can be trusted."

"You mean, she can trust you," Darwin corrected his statement.

"What? You don't want her to trust you too? I thought you had a thing for her?"

"I did, but I could never forget my true love…" Darwin held a picture of a twelve year old Gumball in his mother's wedding dress. "I'll never forget you…" He whispered to the picture and stroked his fin across it. "Besides, I think Carrie just wants to be left alone."

"Well nobody asked you, except me… But that's not important right now, do you think Carrie likes movies…?"

"She did like the pony movie we were supposed to get for Anais,"

"Right… But a movie is probably too romantic,"

"What's wrong with romantic?"

"She's in a delicate mental state; the last thing she needs is some blue idiot professing feelings of love… That I totally don't have, what does she enjoy doing…?"

"Insulting people?" Darwin tried.

"No, no… Well, yes, but she likes feeling, feeling something other than pain or misery, so I need to do something that will make her feel,"

"Shoot a puppy!" Darwin chimed and Gumball slowly recoiled away from his brother. "You know… To make her feel sad?"

"Not the feeling I'm looking for."

"If you want her to love you just say that,"

"I don't want her to love me! I just want her to be happy!"

"You love her…"

"Why did I bring you into this…. You're not helping you know."

"I'll help if you confront your feelings for Carrie,"

"I don't have feelings for Carrie!" This pattern continued until the early hours of the next day, until ultimately they both fell asleep on the kitchen table, bits of food on their mouths. Gumball was the first to wake up and clumsily made his way to his own bed. Sunday, the best day to sleep in. The second time Gumball woke up, he made his way back downstairs and found the house relatively quiet. All except the kitchen, he guessed it was his mom. "Mom?" He asked walking in and found his dad reading a cooking book. "Dad…"

"Gumball, do you know anything about cooking?"

"..Yes…" Gumball muttered trying not to mention his Home Ec. Grade.

"Wanna help your dear old pop bake a cake?" His father asked with excitement.

"What for?"

"Well, you're mother got a promotion at Rainbow Corp. and I wanted to do something nice for her."

"Oh, yeah of course, you mean something more than being her personal pillow?" He joked.

"I may be lazy, but I will always be there for Nicole!" His father declared raising his arms in the air. "Now, where do we start?"

"Well… First we need a bowl,"

"Of course! A bowl… Why didn't I think of that?" Gumball retrieved a bowl and several other ingredients.

"Dad?" Gumball asked as he cracked eggs. "What were you and Mom like in high school?"

"Oh… Very different," He reminisced. "I was the socially awkward fat kid, I didn't have many friends, even my parents made fun of me, I didn't get very good grades and the only class I did well in was sleeping, then there was your mother, the studious girl that every guy wanted because of her looks and her brain, I think the only person who didn't like Nicole was Ms. Simian, but she doesn't like anybody… "

"Wait, what? So you weren't alike… At all?" Gumball asked again mixing the batter for the cake.

"Not in the slightest." He dad said with a content smile.

"Then… How'd you become a couple?"

"Well, it was just after the cool kids had finished beating me up and making me cry again, I believe it was a Wednesday and out of nowhere, someone offers their hand to me and pulls me to my feet. People stopped talking to her since she was my friend, but I don't think she minded, She was my first real friend and I knew I'd marry her." Gumball was silent for a time and absent mindedly nodded his head. "But I'm sure your mother remembers it much better than I do,"

"So… When did you actually start dating?"

"Gumball, I feel as if you are troubled by something." His father said miming movements of Jedi mind tricks.

"I just, there's this girl, and I just want to make her happy, that doesn't mean I love her, does it?"

"I, uh… I think you should ask your mother that one."

"Why?"

"Focus on the cake!"

"Does it strike you as odd you're giving Mom cake for breakfast?" Gumball asked as he placed it in the oven.

"Who wouldn't want cake for breakfast?"

"Fair enough…" They continued their task I silence, mainly Gumball would work while his father observed how to make a cake, but it was still more effort than he put into most things. They were near complete when the door bell went off and Richard trotted off to answer it.

"Hello," He answered and looked down to see a little ghost.

"Hi Mr. Watterson," She greeted, "I'm here to…" She pulled out the project sheet. "Discuss your student's future with the opposite sex." She read from the half sheet.

"What does that mean?"

"I don't know, I just need you and your wife to sign this, and if you could not tell Gumball I'm here that'd be great."

"Why?"

"Because he…" Carrie began. "Please just don't tell him I'm here."

"Okay!" Richard saluted and bounced off to find his sleeping wife.

"Dad!" Gumball's voice came. "Dad, this freaking cake is possessed!" Carrie tried to get a better view of the kitchen without leaving the doorway, but couldn't see anything. "Dad! Help, please!" She sighed and flew into the back of the house to find Gumball being eaten by a beautifully crafted cake. "Carrie!" He called. "Thank god… I mixed up the icing for evil spice, can you just reach the sprinkles and place them on this thing?"

"A. Why? B. Sprinkles on a cake?"

"I'm being eaten by a cake! This isn't the time to argue the logic of the current situation!" Gumball yelled as his arm was fully engulfed. Carrie flew to the sprinkles and poured a few on top of the cake and with a shriek the cake ceased its consumption of Gumball. He pulled his arm out, covered in batted and icing and quickly shook it out. "Thanks."

"I just have so many questions about what just happened… Why do you even have evil spice?"

"To make devil eggs,"

"You mean deviled eggs?"

"Those don't taste as good, anyway, the cake is for my mom, I got to bake it."

"It looks really good," Carrie said licking her lips.

"Well, I made so the whole family could have some, have a bite—"Gumball's eyes widened when he realized what he said. "Sorry…"

"Don't worry about it, I'm sorry I'm here, I'll leave when your dad comes back with that sheet of paper."

"Oh, you don't have to go, we could… Play… Something or, just hang out?" He said awkwardly.

"I can't Gumball, I need to get home, I told you to forget about yesterday."

"You know I won't, what's wrong Carrie? Because whatever it is, I can help you."

"I don't need your help," Just then Gumball's father came back with the signed paper.

"Here you go," He said and handed it to Carrie.

"Thank you," She said and quickly flew out the door without another word. Gumball ran to the door to see if he could catch up to her, but she was gone.

"Damnit!" Gumball cursed and felt a hand placed on his shoulder; it was his mom.

"What's wrong dear?" She asked with a yawn.

"Nothing… I'll tell you later, Dad has a cake for you," He said, anger still dripping from his words.

"For what?" She asked tiredly looking around.

"Your promotion!" Richard said bringing Gumball's cake into the living room.

"Oh…" Nicole said and looked down. "Well… That was a very sweet thought, but I didn't get that, I thought I told you that,"

"Oh… Can we still eat the cake?"

"Yes Richard, we can still eat the cake." She said with a weak smile.

"Yes!" He cheered and quickly cut himself a piece.

"Mom, can I go check on Carrie?" Gumball asked.

"We just saw, she looked fine to me," His mom was still clearly very tired.

"…Please?" He tried.

"Gumball, why do you want to check on her? She's sixteen years old, she can take care of herself."

"…Pretty please?"

"Fine, just be back before dinner…"

"Thank you!" He chimed and sped out the door. Just then Darwin came down the stairs with a yawn to the sight of cake.

"Cake!" Darwin said and leaped towards it,

"Hold it!" Nicole yelled and Darwin froze in mid air. "Weird… Darwin, why is Gumball so insistent on seeing Carrie?" She said looking out the door with no sign of Gumball.

"I don't know, he wants to make her happy or something, I think Carrie kinda likes being miserable, better that than feel nothing right?"

"So… He wants to make her happy? Do you know why?"

"Well, they're partners for that project for school, and I think he has a thing for her now." Darwin reported. "Can I eat the cake now?"

"Sure…" Nicole sighed.

Gumball was speeding down on his bike until Carrie's house came into view and he halted so fast it launched him off. He skidded a few times before recomposing himself and running up to Carrie's door with a quick knock. There was no response at first, but that was to be expected, he waited for a few more minutes and went to knock again when Carrie's Grandmother stuck her head through the door. "What?" She asked not really looking at Gumball.

"Uh… Can I speak to Carrie?" He asked with a nervous grin.

"She's not here,"

"Where is she…?"

"None of you damn… Wait… You're that blue cat guy right?"

"Uh… Yes ma'am, I'm Gumball."

"Good, listen, whatever you're telling my Carrie, keep doing it, she fought him the other day and my god it was a sight to see." The old ghost said and popped her head back inside.

"Wait… Fight who! What's going on?" Gumball called from the other side but was met with silence. "Son of a… Why does this family like secrets so much?" He cursed and headed home. The rest of the day carried on without incident, Gumball tried to take his mind off Carrie by playing with Darwin which was mildly affective but she was always in the back of his mind. All up until he climbed into his bed and fell asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Please pass up your partner slips from the other's parents." Ms. Simian's voice cackled and the slow collection process began.

"Oh shit dude… I forgot to go Masami's house…" Darwin cursed.

"It's okay, I got you covered." Masami said behind him and passed a signed slip up for him.

"Uh… Thanks Masami…" Darwin said a little suspicious. Gumball kept trying to make eye contact with Carrie, but she refused to look up from her desk.

"Now the next part in this project will be—" Gumball tuned her out and looked back to Carrie again. She looked up and their gazes met for a second before they both looked away.

"Dude, are you eye flirting with Carrie?"

"What the fuck is eye flirting?"

"You know, you look at her, she looks at you, they in that one moment you both see each other you look away like nothing happened."

"No!" He whispered as loud as he could without giving himself away.

"You so were…"

"Why are you doing this to me.."

"Are you paying attention?" Ms. Simian's voice screeched and they both stiffened their backs. Only to see she was hovering over Carrie's desk. "Because if you're not I can keep you here for the next—"

"Behold! I am the great Ms. Simian!" Gumball called standing on her desk. "I've been a teacher for six hundred years and yet still I'm a complete and total bitch to children! Why? Because fuck you that's why,"

"Mr. Watterson, I imagine you think you're very funny, but you're not and now you will be here with me until five, have a seat." And Gumball casually took his seat without a bead of sweat dropping.

"If that was to get Ms. Simian away from Carrie, then you can't blame me for saying you like her."

"Sure I can, I just don't have a very big case against it" Gumball said inspecting his paws. "I think this hand is bigger than the other one…"

"You have a very impressive level of denial." Darwin mumbled and looked back to the front of the class. Though to be honest, he had no idea what Ms. Simian was talking about either.

"Remember to report back tomorrow with whatever you have accomplished," She said before the end of class bell sounded. Gumball saw Carrie casually float and he quickly followed and Darwin followed Gumball. It was difficult to track her in the crowd of people but he kept his eye on her until he ran into an open locker.

"Ow…" He said rubbing his head and Darwin pulled him up.

"Do you even know what you're going to say to her?"

"I don't know, I can help her if I just talk to her!" Gumball said in a panic and began to look for her again. He saw her just before she entered the cafeteria and then he was stopped by a familiar peanut.

"Hi Gumball," Penny said and Gumball halted his steps. He tried to look around Penny but couldn't see anything and sighed in defeat.

"Hey Penny," He unmotivatedly said.

"So, I know you don't really like Carrie and I don't care much for Tobias, so do you think we could… Do our partner activity together?"

"What? What activity?" He said still trying to get a bead on Carrie.

"You know, you have to do something recreational with your partner, for the project?"

"Uh huh…" Gumball had completely lost focus at this point.

"And I thought you could dress up like a clown and blast off to the moon." Penny said slightly annoyed.

"Yeah, okay." He answered.

"Gumball!" Penny snapped and his attention went to her. "What are you looking for?" She asked turning around.

"Uh… nothing, what were you saying?" He said with a fake smile.

"Never mind…" Penny said discouraged.

"Okay!" Gumball happily called. "Talk to you later," he said as if nothing happened and ran into the Cafeteria. "There she is," He said to Darwin and sped off towards her.

"He can't possibly be that ignorant of his feelings, could he? I mean, I'm pretty daft and if I see it…" Darwin said to himself and walked to get his lunch.

"Carrie!" Gumball said and slid into the seat next to her.

"Well… That was smooth," She said without much expression.

"Wait… You're talking to me again?"

"I could not talk if that's preferable, what did you want?"

"To talk," He said simply.

"Right, and I'm alive."

"I'm serious, I like talking with you."

"What did you want to talk about?"

"I… Uh… I didn't think I'd get this far actually," He said scratching his head.

"Did you get the next part of the project?" She said monotone.

"I don't give to shits about the project anymore, it's a nice way that forces you to interact with me, but I think I'd rather hang out with you on your terms."

"If I had that then I'd have no one hang out with me…"

"Why?"

"I… I can't tell you…" She said looking away from him.

"Why not?" He asked again almost pleading at this point.

"Because you might try and fix the situation, but it's working fine…"

"Not for you, I know you can only feel pain, but you haven't been the same Carrie since whatever this is started, the one that took me on ridiculous junk food sprees and sacrificed herself to the undead so Darwin and I could reach our bodies on Halloween, call me delusional, but I thought I saw you smile a few times, that doesn't come from pain."

"Stop trying to fix me…" Carrie said lowly, but her words were tipped with anger.

"I'd never try to fix you, you're far from broken, I just think you need to be pointed in the right direction, I think I can help… Whatever is going on, but you have to be the one to fix it." Carrie was silent after that; it was rare to see her actually think on his words, especially since she had significantly higher grades than he did.

Across the lunch room, Penny sat with the other cheer leaders and eyed Gumball and Carrie's conversation. Carmen took noticed and poked Penny in the arm. "What's wrong?"

"It's Gumball…" She trailed off.

"Say no more, Alan," She called and the happy balloon floated towards her. "Can you get Darwin for me?" Alan nodded and floated off. He returned with Darwin a few moments later. "Darwin, what is Gumball doing?"

"He's…" Darwin looked around. "Talking to Carrie?"

"Now… Why is he doing that?" Darwin went wide eyed, silent, and only offered a shrug. "Come on, you don't expect me to think you don't know everything about Gumball."

"Well… They're partners for that project?" He tried.

"Ah," Carmen said with a nod. "See Penny, it's nothing to concern yourself with, Gumball just wants a good grade."

"Maybe…" Penny said lowly.

"Gumball… I…" Carrie finally spoke again. "It's not as easy as you'd like it to be… My family doesn't have any way to make money and I need to take care of Grandma."

"See that sounds like something that could be solved with a ridiculously overcomplicated plan." He said with a grin and Carrie gave a small laugh. "My family could offer financial aid," He offered. "And if not them then I sure as hell can, I don't really use any of the money I earn…"

"Then why did you earn it?" She asked.

"… To take Penny on dates…" He half said have mumbled.

"Aw… That's so cute, why didn't you then?"

"She was always busy the first semester of school and now that she's not… I just don't really want to… I think Penny's losing influence over me."

"I'll mark this day on my calendar." She said dryly, yet smiling. "Okay Gumball, I'll think about what you said, but for now… Could I hire you to fix my car?"

"Uh… Sure why not, what's wrong with it?"

"What isn't wrong with it… It's simply not in the shape it used to be."

"Okay, just, drive it by the junkyard whenever you get the chance and I'll take it from there."

"The junkyard? Are you going to scrap my car?" She skeptically asked.

"What? No, no, that's where I… Work… Kind of…"

"I'm not going to ask what you mean by that," she joked and they shared a small laugh again. "Thank you, for talking to me,"

"Sure, that's what friends are for, we are just friends right?" He asked but regretted it. "I mean, not like more than friends… Not that there would be anything wrong with being more, I just wanted clarification because… I mean I could be—"

"Gumball, I'm proud to call myself your friend," Carrie cut him off as the bell for lunch to end went off and she stood up, her tail back in the form of legs. She turned to walk away but something felt off and quickly looked back to Gumball without turning her body. "Gumball," She said with a playful smirk and he looked up at her. "You were staring at my ass…"

"No I wasn't!" He quickly spat out. "I was… Admiring your… legs?" She giggled at him and rolled her eyes.

"Bye Gumball." She called and left the lunch room.

"Bye…" He said after she'd already gone and headed off for his own class. Gumball and Darwin walked towards the exit at the end of the day, chatting about their day and planning on spending the rest of the day at his junkyard shed, it'd been too long since they had a bro date, and you're never too old for Dodge of Dare.

"I think the shy should be purple, I mean, who the hell likes seeing blue all day." Gumball expressed his opinion on their discussion.

"But if the sky was green than everything would be going green and then global warming would stop!" Darwin debated back.

"I don't think that's how global warming works…" Gumball said as they reached the door.

"Gumball," They both stopped and turned back to see Penny standing with other cheerleaders. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, what's up?" He said with his warm smile.

"Well… What's going on with you and Carrie?" She asked uncomfortably.

"Hm…? Oh, nothing we're just friends."

"Okay, so… Would you be open to see a movie with me tonight?"

"Oh… Uh, sorry Penny, Darwin and I had plans tonight—"

"Are you gay with Darwin?" She asked in terror.

"What? No, god no, he's my brother!" He cried out. "We just haven't gotten to do anything for awhile and—"

"Don't worry about it dude, we can reschedule." Darwin said and gave him a thumbs up. Gumball silently cursed his brother's kindness and looked back to Penny.

"Why not, let's go," He said with a shrug and the cheer leading squad behind Penny cheered for her. Gumball exited the school and found his bike to ride to the theatre with Penny behind him.

"You have a motorcycle?" She asked as he hopped on.

"Yup," He answered without much thought.

"Is it safe?"

"Probably not," He joked but Penny just back away out of concern. "That was a joke, it's very safe."

"Do you have a helmet?" She asked again.

"Uh… No?"

"Then we're taking my car," She asserted and walked to the parking lot.

"Aw…" Gumball said and patted his bike. "I'll be back girl, don't you worry…" He said and followed after Penny. She was already in her car and Gumball sat himself in the passenger seat with a bored expression.

"I think this will be a safer option," She said as they got onto the road.

"Yeah…" He muttered. "So… How's school treating you?" He tried to make conversation. Her car was new and smelled like mints, everything was clean and the seats were soft, but Gumball still felt uncomfortable. Like something was missing.

"Fine, this whole project thing is crap, I'm pretty sure someone is going to get pregnant from it it's not teaching us anything we don't know."

"Yeah, I wonder who was dumb enough to get knocked up and make us take this stupid course…"

"Don't say that, they probably have it really rough."

"Uh… Sorry? I wasn't entirely serious…" He said a looked out the window.

"You shouldn't say things you don't mean, it gives people the wrong impression of you."

"Penny, it was a joke, to make you laugh," He impatiently explained.

"If it was joke it would've been funny, I know you Gumball; you have a more mature sense of humor than that."

"Right…" He muttered and remained silent the rest of the drive to the movie theater. The car pulled into the theater parking lot and they both exited the car. "Alright, what did you want to see…?" He asked looking over the movies. "Oh! Zombies vs. Vampires three is out, that could be awesome!" He cheered.

"Um… I was thinking more in the romantic department,"

"Zombies vs. Vampires two had a love story, I think?" He tried. "Fine… What did you want to see?"

"Oh, I don't care." She said oblivious to Gumball's irked expression.

"Penny… Why are we doing this?" He asked rubbing his temple.

"Doing what?"

"This movie thing, we haven't really talked in Christmas break and people don't usually catch up over a movie, lunch maybe, but not a movie, so why in the world are we here?"

"I thought it'd be a good first date," She said with a shrug.

"Whoa, wait, what? I never agreed to a date, I agreed to see a movie with you,"

"That's pretty much like agreeing to a date." Her voice rising.

"No, it's like wanting to do something fun with your friend!" He shouted at her.

"I thought you wanted to be more than that."

"I did too! But then I…" He trailed off realizing what he was about to say. "…Then Carrie started talking to me…"

"I knew it, you like her don't you." She said cruelly.

"No!" He quickly answered. "She just helped me realize how boring you are, I'm going, see you tomorrow," He said and started walking the way they came.

"Fine, you're being a total dick anyway." Penny cursed as he pulled his hood over his head. "And tell you're ghost whore I said hi!" She practically screamed and Gumball quickly came back.

"Don't you ever say that," He said right in her face. "You can insult me all you want, but don't you dare talk about Carrie like that, she's been through a hell neither one of us can imagine nor has done nothing to you."

"She took you away from me!" Penny cried. "Are you even the same Gumball? She might have… Put a spell on you or something!"

"Oh, yeah a spell, because that's a thing. Just leave Carrie alone, she has to deal with enough."

"Why are you defending her? What has she done that's so great for you?"

"She's the most selfless person I know, you try cutting everyone you love out of your life to protect them, I don't agree with her means, but her motives were of the purest intentions, all she wants for others to be happy, even if she has to suffer, someone should stand up for her and it sure as hell won't be you."

"You honestly believe all that crap? What if she made it all up?"

"I trust my friends, Penny, I'm done with this, Carrie is twice the person you'll ever be," Gumball spat and walked away again, refusing to look back. He walked back towards school, even as the sun began to set; he walked until the red brick building came into view. His head had cooled as he walked, but he still didn't even want to think about Penny. He'd always idolized her as the perfect girl… Was he blind to her imperfections before or did she change that much? He thought as he approached his bike.

"Come on girl…" He said lowly to his bike. Even though he was mad, losing a friend wasn't a pleasant experience and Penny was one of his oldest. It was a burden on his conscious, one he'd rather be rid of. He drove to his shed, he saw Carrie's car waiting for him out in front of it. "Huh… Well, let's get started then…" He said with a grin.

"Carrie," Charon's voice came from the doorway and Carrie looked to her Grandmother, who nodded. "Where the hell did you put our car?"

"Why? Going somewhere?" She asked without moving from where she sat.

"Yeah, you know damn well I go to the bar on Mondays."

"I took it to a mechanic." She called again and Charon angrily came back into the living room.

"And… How much is that going to cost me?" He said in her face. "Perhaps you and I will have to find an alternate form of keeping me entertained." And he ran a grotesque hand down her face.

"Don't touch me," She said and smacked his hand off her.

"Your hair is over your eye again… How revolting…"

"Well, I like it like this." She said defiantly.

"You're being very rebellious tonight," He took a large inhale with his nose. "I love it… Tonight I'll make a woman out of you,"

"You can go fuck yourself." She said and materialized her foot. She sent it so hard into his groin that he keeled over.

"That's a bad Carrie, keep it up and I may cut your funding." He said from the ground.

"Good, do it, because I can't take one more day with your putrid life style, I've had it with your drinking and you're parties and the girls you bring home, and you should get the hell out of my house before I call the cops!"

"Oh but sweet Carrie, how will you keep the house without my money?" Charon said confidently.

"I'll manage," She said coldly, pure hate radiating from her.

"You… You…" He was grabbing for words. "I'll destroy you for this… I'll haunt your loved ones and make you suffer!" He said from the floor.

"I don't have any loved ones! You made sure of that, and you already made me suffer, for three goddamned years, and I'm done with it, and I'm done with you!" Carrie hissed, floating over Charon who was practically trembling at this point and fled out the door. "I'm burning all your stuff!" She called after him.

"Carrie, you realize what this means don't you?" Her Grandmother asked.

"Yes… and I don't need you to approve, but I couldn't deal with him for another second…" She said tiredly.

"But I approve, I've never been so proud of you my girl. I hope your mechanic is cheap, we only have a swear jar to last us until we get some form of funding."

"I could get a job." Carrie offered.

"It would be a start; you know, strippers make a lot of cash,"

"Grandma!"

Gumball hadn't shown up at the Watterson house all night, it was three in the morning and Darwin was getting worried. He looked at his phone for any messages from his brother, still nothing, he checked the clock again. The rest of the family had gone to bed, allowing Darwin to wait up until their oldest had arrived home. He reached for his phone once more and dialed Gumball's number.

Gumball was underneath Carrie's car when he heard his phone go off and slid out from under the car. He lazily picked up the phone and answered it. "Hello?" He said half asleep.

"Where the fuck are you, are you okay?" Darwin yelled.

"Huh…? Oh, yeah I'm fine, I got a late job, wanted to finish it before I head home,"

"Do you know what time it is?"

"Ten? I think…"

"Dude, it's three, Mom was about to have a heart attack before she went to bed."

"Aw shit… I'm sorry, I'll spend the night here and see you at school tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay… How did things with Penny go?"

"…" Gumball didn't answer at first, "Not well…" He said after the pause.

"Oh, sorry, I'll let you get to sleep."

"Yeah… Darwin?"

"Yeah?"

"Let's say I think I might, possibly think I maybe falling for Carrie a little… Would that entitle you to say 'I told you so'?"

"You're damn right it would."

"… Crap… Well, good night buddy." He quickly said and hung up.

"Called it…" Darwin said to himself and fell tucked himself inside his bowl to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Rain pattered against Darwin's window as he woke up, he stood out of his bowl and stretched his fins above his head. He looked over to Gumball's bed to find it empty, which wasn't unusual, but it did give cause for concern. He went to his window and pulled the blinders up to reveal the pouring rain running in the streets and over running the storm drains. "Well at least Gumball will have a shower this morning…" Darwin said to himself and headed for the shower, to find there was no line. "Am… I the first?" He asked in amazement. "Yes! Finally it's Darwin's time to get hot water!"

"No school today, they don't people in the streets." His mother's voice came from down stairs.

"Aw man…" Darwin muttered. "Can I still take a shower?"

"I don't see why not,"

Gumball batted his eyes twice before opening them fully, he could hear the rain outside and stretched on his couch. Sitting up, he examined his shirtless form and stretched again before forcing himself up to get ready for the day. He pushed open the door to his shed and exposed the flooded ground that was his junkyard. "Well… Fuck…" Was all he said and dialed home.

"Hey Gumball," His mother answered. "You spent the night at the shed?"

"Yeah, I spent all night working on a car… Please tell me it's too wet to go to school."

"Yeah, you have the day off, come home when it's safe, okay?"

"Okay, thanks mom." He said and returned to his couch, falling asleep once again.

Carrie sat in her living room with strips of newspaper and her computer on, all searches dedicated to finding some type of employment, School more than likely was no longer an option, but it's not as if she would miss it. She searched through everything she could find, her Grandma sitting in her chair to provide support, but nothing seemed to fit the bill that was their house. It was not a good situation, especially while she was down a car and a millionaire had a grudge against her.

"Well… I got nothing, so far stripper is the best idea posed." Carrie joked scrolling through a job site for the hundredth time.

"Nah, men like them big tits, you ain't got those."

"Grandma!" Carrie shouted again.

"You could her points for your tushi though." Her Grandma continued.

"Stop talking, like… Now, please," Carrie insisted rubbing her temples.

"Well, what else is there?"

"There's… a few waitress offers, one or two openings at Rainbow Corp. But that requires a high school education, there's a—"

"What about that stuff you write?" Her Grandma cut in.

"What? You mean my poems?"

"Yeah, you could sell those or something,"

"I don't think people buy poetry anymore,"

"Sure, lots of people buy poetry books, we just need to get you published."

"Still no high school education," Carrie reminded slightly annoyed.

"Well, what if you worked for your mechanic friend?"

"Gumball? What would I do for him?"

"Handle his business, he can do the work and you'll handle the business." Carrie played with the idea. It wasn't terrible, and Gumball was willing to help her.

"I'll think about it…"

"That or a stripper,"

"What the hell is wrong with you…" Carrie grumbled. "I think I should stop relaying on Gumball's hospitality, if I'm not careful it could become the same situation with a different face, but stripping is a last resort, got it?"

"Whatever you say sweetie," Her Grandmother said, rocking in her chair.

Gumball's head was buried in his arm, with a slight amount of drool staining his sleeve when a knock came at his door. He tiredly got up and slinked his way to the door and opened it with eyes half shut.

"Hi Gumball," Carrie said from the doorway. "Can I come in? It's kinda pouring out here,"

"Uh… Yeah, yeah, how'd you find this place?" He said as Carrie floated past him and examined the inside of the shed.

"It's the only thing that's not waterlogged in the entire junkyard, it wasn't incredibly difficult," She shrugged and took a seat on his couch as her legs grew from her tail.

"Uh, I finished your car last night,"

"In one night?" Carrie said in surprise.

"I was until like… Five, I think… I don't remember, anyway it's over in the garage if you wanna look at it,"

"That's okay… I just came to talk,"

"You? Came to talk to me? I'm not dreaming am I?"

"Are girls usually clothed in your dreams?" She asked with a smirk.

"No but… Hey! My dreams are very child friendly, but I am happy to talk to you, what's up?"

"Well… Remember yesterday? You told me to take a step in the right direction?"

"Yeah," Gumball shrugged and took a seat next to her on the couch.

"Well I… Maybe I should start at the beginning…" Carrie said to herself.

"Stories usually start there," Gumball joked and Carrie laughed a little with a nod.

"Okay, so remember three years ago?" And Gumball nodded.

"I believe your exact words were… I'm a annoying blue idiot who is too insensitive to realize how pathetic he is," He recited her words.

"Right… Allow me to apologize for that,"

"No need, you had your reasons,"

"Where you get all that optimism, I'll never know,"

"Well, someone has to balance out your pessimism." He grinned.

"What would I do without you?" She said sarcastically.

"Probably die, again," He said and all Carrie offered was a happy grin.

"I'm getting off topic, three years ago my parents were left our house, I don't know where they went or why they left but the point was, they were gone and they weren't planning on coming back. That left me and my Grandma, and no money, until I met Charon Richards, son of Morbius Richards, and he offered to help us, which was all well and fantastic, until he wanted compensation for his generosity. We told him we had no money and couldn't pay him back, but we didn't want money… He wanted me, if I had any friends besides him, our funding would be cut, if I refused anything he said, our funding would be cut… I couldn't just screw over my Grandmother out of her house, so I did whatever he said… For three years…"

"Can I ask the obvious question that everyone is thinking of?"

"I never slept with him, but…" She trailed off.

"But…?"

"I uh… Wash my mouth a lot more than I used to…" She said shivering slightly at the mention of it.

"Gross…"

"Anyway, long story short, he made my life miserable and you… Helped me through it, so thank you," She said a graced her face with a pure smile. It was a moment that it became clear to Gumball how beautiful she was, how much better she looked with a smile. "Gumball?" She asked and he realized he was starring.

"I uh… You're welcome," He said awkwardly rubbing his neck. "So… How will you keep paying for the house?" He tried to change the subject.

"Well Charon's last payment should be good until next month, I have that long to find some way to make money."

"Oh, I could… uh, help? I mean, if you wanted help, you don't need help and I'd hate to put you into a situation like the one you just got out of and—"

"Gumball," She cut him off with a small giggle. "Thank you, but I should be fine, you've helped me enough by giving me the confidence to get away from him, I do need to know how much you want for the repairs to my car though."

"Oh, no charge, you have a lot of work ahead of you, I couldn't ask for money you don't have,"

"No no, I refuse to accept pity, what do you usually charge?"

"Uh… Well, it was a pretty beat up car… The bumper alone would've been, fifty bucks… But I can bill you later, when you have money, for now just make sure you're taken care of," He said uncomfortably. "Wow this shack is really hot… I should get a fan…" He said pulling on his shirt collar. "So… What were you thinking of for a job?"

"I don't know… For some reason my Grandma is dead set on making me a stripper…"

"But… You don't wear clothes, what would you strip?"

"I do wear clothes, they're just white… And difficult to see…"

"uh huh, and my fur is a carpet I wear from time to time."

"That explains why you stink so often," She poked at him.

"Hey, I don't stink, I smell like man,"

"Right, well, what you suggest I do for a job Mr. Money maker?"

"Um… find something you enjoy doing?" He offered and she gave a puzzled look. "I mean, I got into this stuff because I liked it, it took my mind off the world and gave me my own space just to work on something that I cared about, or when I can cook for my family? It makes me proud to know I'm useful, stuff like that, so what do you like to do?"

"I like… Music?" She tried.

"Good start, can you play an instrument?"

"I used to have a guitar and a little piano but I haven't played in years,"

"Okay, what else do you do?"

"I… Write poetry occasionally?"

"My mom has a friend who knows a publisher if you think you're any good."

"I'd rather not let people read that… It's kinda personal…"

"Got it, well, have you considered writing a book?"

"About what?"

"You're life!" He happily cheered. "I mean, think of it, high school student turned slave, then famous author? You have first hand experiences that people can only speculate of, it would be like a really long poem!"

"Those are called ballads, like Beowulf,"

"And everybody knows who Beowulf is… He's a wolf right?"

"No… but it's not a bad idea; it just doesn't solve my short term money problems,"

"Right…. Damnit… Um, OH!" Gumball yelled with inspiration. "How much piano do you remember?"

"Like… Three lessons, if that, I didn't pay attention as much as I should've, my mom wanted me to learn for some reason."

"Right! That's where you can make money, every parent wants their kid to learn how to play piano and they'll pay a lot for it,"

"That's… Fucking smart," Carrie admitted. "But… Where am I going to relearn piano?"

"Let's find you a piano and see what you remember." He chimed and opened his door to reveal the still pouring rain. "Right… I forgot about that… Well, there are still some mountains of trash left, I'll see what I can find…" He said and grabbed a umbrella that had a few holes in it from the side of the door. Carrie stared after him in slight disbelief as he charged into the rain and began looking around for something to keep herself entertained. She wondered around Gumball's shed and peaked into his garage to find her car, better than ever and even had a fresh coat of paint. It looked to be a new car, and there next to it was a rust bike that could've used the paint job a lot more than the car.

Leaving them be, Carrie turned back and examined Gumball's little shed, it was literally a couch, a mini fridge, a T.V., game station, and a small desk. Not much to look at, but Gumball somehow managed to stay cozy. She approached the small desk and touched the old wood that made up its exterior, she felt pain when she touched, but not hers… It was like a stain of emotion on the wood, telling a story of its own. She pulled the drawer open from under the desk to reveal a stack of papers and pictures. Carrie eyed them, quickly flipping through the stacks of papers until her hand got stuck on one and she pulled it out of the stack. It was a letter, addressed to Gumball on the front and Carrie was planning on opening, when she stopped herself. "This is Gumball's personal stuff… I can't just rifle through it like a raccoon…" She mentally slapped herself and put the papers back, quickly closing the desk and sitting herself back on the couch. Then Gumball's phone rang and Carrie moved to it. It read Darwin and she thought to take the message for him. "Hello?" She answered it.

"Gumball I—" Darwin began and stopped himself. "Carrie?"

"Yeah, Gumball's outside right now,"

"What!" Darwin screamed. "Tell him to get inside! Now!"

"Why? What's going on?"

"The storm is supposed to continue into tomorrow and they already cancelled school for tomorrow, I'm not losing my brother again!"

"Again? What the hell are you talking about?" She asked panicked and Darwin let out the breath he didn't know he was holding in.

"Just please tell him to stay inside and keep the news on for further developments."

"Uh… Okay?" Carrie said, "Darwin, what are all those letters in Gumball's desk?"

"Did you read one?" Darwin's breath quickened again.

"No, I just saw he had them, are they important?"

"You could say that… Don't read them, they're important to Gumball, okay?"

"Okay," Carrie said and hung up the phone. She flew out the door and the rain fell on her like it would to a living person. Confused, she looked up to it, when a drop fell in her eye, "Ow… Sure… I can feel rain, but food? No, that's too difficult for ghost… I hate paranormal physics…" She silently cursed and began looking for Gumball. The junkyard was unfamiliar to her and confusing, piles of trash looked similar, only to be different the next time she passed by, the rain bore heavy on her and her hair became too wet to hold her skull clip in place. It slipped off and fell into the water below, without Carrie noticing as she floated on. After twenty minutes of searching for her blue friend it seemed pretty hopeless and she decided to turn back, only, she had no idea where back was. "Fantastic… Lost in a junkyard…" Carrie said and began looking for the way she came.

"It's not that bad, at least you have a dashing young man to help you," Gumball's voice came from next to her and she turned to face him. He was waist deep in muddy water and his face was stained with something that Carrie didn't want to address. "Here you go," He said warmly and handed her the skull clip that fell off.

"You found it?" She asked astonished.

"It found me," He shrugged. "I found a broken piano, but I can fix it, given that the rain doesn't wash it away,"

"Darwin called, they called off school tomorrow," She said readjust her hair by whipping it behind her head.

"Damn right they should," He laughed, "Come on I'll get us back to my shed." Gumball trudged through the water, grinning the entire time, all the way to opening his door and letting the water flood into the doorway of his shed. Carrie shook herself dry while Gumball forced the door close with the water running in and covered the base of the door with rubber. "Well, I'm stuck here, care to be stuck with me?"

"Well I think I can make room in my busy schedule of being broke, jobless and out of school, plus if the rain can affect me I should probably stay out of it," She shrugged and joined him on the couch. "So what do you have to do here?"

"I have T.V. and a few video games, which doesn't leave us with a lot…" He said and turned on the T.V.

"What do you usually do for fun here?"

"I work on Lucy," And that earned him a confused stare from Carrie. "She's my bike, one that refuses to stay fixed for whatever reason."

"Ah," She said in understanding, "Did you want to tend to her then?"

"Can't, I get most of my parts from the junkyard and the ones I can't find I order, but I don't think either is very accessible at the moment, and I used my last paint bucket, so I can't even paint her."

"At least we have the news." She said and settled into the couch. "Where can I sleep?"

"You sleep?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Ever heard of waking the dead?" She asked and he nodded. "The dead have to be asleep to be woken up." They both watched the T.V. for a time, without words and without interaction, and they both comfortably sat on opposite ends of the couch. However there is a time where someone cannot take the news anymore; and Gumball slumped over on the couch.

"We should do something fun," He said and let out a yawn.

"Like what?"

"I don't know, I've never spent more than three hours in the presence of a girl, what do most people do when left alone in a shack for a night?"

"Sex," Carrie said without much thought and suddenly realized what she said. "We're not having sex." She quickly affirmed.

"I wouldn't have the nerve to ask, but we can do the next best thing, Truth or Dare?" He asked her.

"You can't be serious?" She said dryly and Gumball's smirk wouldn't leave. "You're serious… That's a child's game,"

"Yes it is, now if you have a better suggestion I'm completely open for it," He said confidently.

"We could… Uh… We…" Carrie began sputtering out anything that came to mind, but never was able to finish it. "Truth…" She finally said.

"Who's your favorite poet?" He asked still confidently smiling.

"This is a sex game, you know that right?"

"I do, but I'm curious," Carrie sighed and looked off to the side.

"Logan Roth…" She said trying not to make a big deal out of it.

"He wrote…" Gumball put a finger under his chin. "Love for a Raven, right?"

"Yeah… How did you know that?" Carrie asked suspiciously.

"Ah, ah, ah, that's not how the game works." He said confident once again.

"Fine, Truth or Dare?" She spat out.

"Dare," He said with cheeky smile.

"You're mean… Do sixty push up," She ordered.

"What? Why?" He asked horrified.

"Because that's how the game works, on the floor mister."

"You know, I could swear that's joy in your voice, you're enjoying this!" He accused and she let out a light laugh.

"Yeah, maybe a little, let's go, push up time."

"Huh…" Gumball sighed and fell on the ground and began his dare. Carrie was surprised to see after fifteen he was still going strong, and showed no signs of slowing down after thirty. After a short seven minutes, Gumball hoisted himself back on the couch, breathing a little heavier than before.

"Gumball?" Carrie asked in disbelief. "Take off your hoodie,"

"Careful Carrie, we could be inciting improper behavior." He quoted their sex Ed. Project. "Also it's my turn, Truth or Dare?"

"Truth," She said impatiently.

"Back in the classroom, the first day of the project, I know you forced that answer to protect me, so I'm going to ask again, did you actually believe all the things you said about me?"

"I…" Carrie took a second to recall the incident. "Yeah… I did and still do. You were the last friend I had to get rid of… You were the hardest one to say goodbye to, Darwin volunteered you so I could eat, but you still felt like it was your responsibility to make sure I got to eat, you even let me use your dad to eat, you were really good to me, and as I watched you grow up into a clever young man, I just admired you." She said with a small amount of crimson gracing her cheeks and looking away from Gumball.

"Carrie that's the sweetest thing I've ever heard," Gumball softly said.

"Well, yeah, don't think too much of it, I'm just a ghost."

"You're so much more than a ghost; you're a person and a hell of a lot more alive than other people I've met."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you know what the difference between life and death is, so you always seem to be driven in your pursuits, you never seem to get a bad grade on a paper, although you don't like to show it, you fight for what you believe in, and when someone says you can't use their body, you take it." He grinned at her on the last note.

"Yeah…" She said rubbing her neck. "Let's pretend that never happened… Uh… Truth or Dare?"

"Dare," He said again.

"Take off your hoodie," She quickly said.

"Like… Slowly? I can do slowly if you want to savor the moment," He said laughing to himself.

"Just take off your damn hoodie," And Gumball complied, he took off his hoodie to reveal his tight fitting T-shirt underneath but that wasn't what Carrie was looking for. His arm muscles were surprisingly large and defined, but still remained proportional to his body. She could see the forming muscles underneath his shirt and Carrie felt her cheeks grow hot again. "Gumball…" She said trying to find something else to rest her eyes on. "You're hot…"

"Thank you," He chimed.

"No I mean, why the hell are you that muscular?"

"Have you tried lifting an engine? It's really hard until you do it like… Seventeen thousand times, I worked out a little, my cardio is a little low though…"

"You could get any girl in bed if they just looked at you, you know that right?"

"Hence the hoodie," He smiled.

"Why would you want to hide this?"

"That's not the game…" He muttered. "I don't want a girl who wants me for my looks, fuck me right?"

"Careful what you wish for," She said with a playful smile.

"Oh ha, ha, what about you, you hardly ever show off your _ass-_ets,"

"Yeah, it's because guys tend to stare, but you wouldn't know anybody who would do that, would you?"

"Me? No, not a one, who would be so rude to stare at a beautiful girl without her consent?" He faked confusion and they shared a small laugh at the reference.

"Gumball," Carrie said in her tone serious. "What are all those papers in your desk?" And Gumball grew a sullen look at the question.

"It's nothing but memories,"

"Memories of what? Please stop me if I get too personal," She added.

"I…" Gumball began, then his expression grew brighter. "You know what, it's about time I told someone, might as well be my favorite ghost," He smiled.

"You know other ghosts?" She asked amused.

"Not any as cute as you, but a few," He said and hopped off the couch. He approached his desk, grabbed a stack of the papers, and returned to the couch. He dropped his stack in between himself and Carrie and he faced her. Without looking he picked up one of the pieces of paper and unfolded it.

"Ahem." He cleared his throat. "Dear, Mr. and Mrs. Watterson, we believe your son, Gumball Watterson, is mentally fragile, we have proscribed medication with this letter and advise that you keep a close eye on him. Keep him as relaxed as possible and try to give him as much space as possible when he needs to be alone, but never, under any circumstances should he be farther than a short walk. Never leave him alone in his room and if you have any further questions please contact us. We have also taken the liberty of enrolling Gumball in a support group, here is their number:" And Gumball stopped and looked back to Carrie who was completely baffled at this point.

"What was that?" She asked uncomfortably.

"The hospital letter after I tried to kill myself," Gumball shrugged as if it was nothing.

"What!" Carrie screamed loud enough to shatter Gumball's ear drum.

"I tried to kill myself… Got pretty close too, had a damn good doctor though…"

"How? What? Why on Earth would you try and kill yourself?" Her mind was going a mile a minute with the new information.

"Oh look here's my suicide letter," He said picking up another piece of paper,

"How can you be so relaxed about this? You tried to kill yourself?"

"Right, sorry, I'm leaving you in the dark. Okay, so… This was… the summer after freshman year, and you had told me to pretty much go die, because I didn't really have a purpose, which, hurt… a lot, but then everything just seemed so… pointless, I tried to play with Darwin again or do something stupid to impress Penny, still nothing, I started to see my life as a big joke, the only reason I existed was to make other people smile, but I never really did, so I became engrossed in this idea that my existence was one the world could do without, because it doesn't need any more clowns, so that led me to contemplate suicide and when nobody took me seriously that I would do it, I hopped off a bridge," Gumball explain and slowly stood up. He removed his shirt to expose the giant scar on his back. "Surgery was hell, that had to fix a lot of internal stuff and the bill was giant, but that got it done."

"Gumball…" Carrie said in a soft voice. "I'm so sorry,"

"For what? It's not like you pushed me." He joked putting his shirt back on.

"That's just… I can't believe you would do that… You've always been a… Ray of sunshine,"

"Thank you, I think… But it's over now, I found purpose here in this garage, my parents give me the space I need here, and they never neglect to ask me about my day when I am home, it's a good deal, I'm glad I stuck around with the living, though it seems like I took the easy way out when I look at your situation. Never went to that support group…" He mused to himself. Then without warning Carrie was wrapped around him, pulling him into the most loving hug she could muster.

"You're not going to try again are you?" She said, her voice cracked, like she was about to cry and Gumball hugged her back.

"Not a chance,"

"Good, because my afterlife would suck without you, so if you die I'm bringing you back,"

"I'll hold you to that; I've grown rather fond of having you in my life." Carrie pulled out from the hug, but the two remained close to each other, still in Gumball's arms, there was brief moment where their eyes met before Carrie pulled herself to his lips and Gumball fall back on the couch as their lips meshed together. Their tongues danced for a brief moment, until Gumball pulled away. "Wait," He said to Carrie who kissed his neck. "Carrie, wait, I can't do this,"

"Why not?" She said lying on top of him.

"You just got out of bad relationship, it'd be wrong for me take advantage of you now…"

"You're not taking advantage of me, I want this,"

"I do too! But… I just don't trust myself, and I don't want you to do something you'll regret,"

"I've never felt more alive than when I'm with you, I swear I won't regret this," She pleaded with him.

"Please Carrie just… Hear me out, I just told you an emotional part of my life, so I'm emotional and you're emotional, so maybe we could just, hold off? Until we know what we want?"

"I know what I want Gumball, I want you, right now,"

"I'm sorry, I can't… Not in the right frame of mind, not without feeling a pang of guilt."

"Huh…" Carrie sighed. "Fine, whatever, I don't care…"

"I'm sorry, please believe me when I say I want this, I want you, but… I can't." Carrie didn't say another word to him and formed her legs into a tail again. She turned away from him with her anger practically boiling over. "I'll sleep in the garage, you can have the couch." He said solemnly and left her side.


	7. Chapter 7

Gumball was set up on top of Carrie's car, it wasn't the comfiest bed, but it kept him off the cold ground. The pitter patter of the rain could still be heard inside his shed, it seemed to never end, and he couldn't get to sleep as he wrestled with his thoughts. It was instinct that told him that neither of them were ready for a steamy experience, and he could only pray he made the right call. But part of him wanted her, he wanted her so badly. It was funny to him how much he denied it to Darwin, maybe part of him had always wanted to wrap Carrie in his embrace and just hold her close. His thoughts were jumbled between wanted he wanted and what was best for both of him and Carrie. It made sleeping incredibly difficult. He examined the dark garage, the tarp that he covered Lucy in was torn and shredded, it was cold and dark, his only consolation being; Carrie was comfortable.

"Why do I care much about her…" He said to himself.

"I've been asking myself that since you pressured me to take you to the grocery store," Carrie said from the doorframe.

"Hey…" He said still unsure of how she felt about him.

"You were right, I was… Caught up in the moment, and I'm sorry for being angry with you, you were just looking out for me, like you always do for some reason," She rubbed her arm uncomfortably. "Why am I so special?"

"I don't know," He laughed to himself. "I just… I love it when you smile, it looks really good on you and you don't do it enough. Nobody should only know pain and misery; that sucks, so you give me purpose too, I like you in case you couldn't tell, a lot."

"But why me? Why not someone who… Who is fun, or optimistic or anything like yourself?"

"Because…" Gumball didn't know the answer himself, which made giving Carrie an answer all the harder. "That's not someone I'd want to be with…" He said, which confused himself as much as it confused Carrie. "I guess I don't want to be with someone like me, then I'd just love them for my qualities, I like you because of who you are, how smart you are, how stubborn you are, how… Alive you are for someone who's dead." Gumball finished, looking to Carrie for her response.

"I… What the hell do I say to that?" She laughed a little. "What do I say?"

"Nothing, just know that it's how I feel, but I don't want to pressure into something that you don't want or aren't ready for, I'm the only guy you've really interacted with since freshman year, outside of your psychopathic money friend and if you need time to… Explore other options, I'm willing to wait."

"Huh…" Carrie sighed smiling. "You're too nice for your own good, who else would peek my interest? Tobias? Joe? I don't know if you remember but they weren't the best of friends with me, stop trying to be noble, and start doing what you want,"

"What I want doesn't matter, it never really has, ever since I almost died I just want to make others happy, and what if—"

"Stop with the what ifs," She floated up on top of the car and sat next to him. "I'm not saying we marry each other tomorrow, I'm just asking you to dinner."

"…Really?" He asked,

"Yeah, it'll be fun, you know, when the rain stops,"

"I'd like that," He said with a content smile and she quickly kissed him on the cheek.

"Would you like to join me on the couch?" she asked and hopped down as her tail became legs once again.

"Aw, but the cold, hard, metal is just so damned comfy."

"Come on, there's a movie playing on some channel," She beckoned him and he quickly followed. He joined her on the couch and she laid her head against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her.

"Wait… Carrie, I can feel you, I felt your lips earlier, I even felt your tongue…"

"Yeah…?" She said looking up at him from his chest.

"So, can ghosts do that?"

"I… I don't know? Are you complaining?"

"God forbid, I… I'll show you what I'm getting at tomorrow morning before school."

"Oh, when Darwin called he said they already called off school for tomorrow,"

"Then I'll show you when we wake up." He said happily and snuggled into the couch, still holding Carrie tightly. She nestled back into him and they watched the screen until they both fell asleep. Neither fell asleep, but neither wanted to. It was too warm, there embraced in the other, blissfully lying together to the rhythm of Gumball's breath and the atmospheric sound of the falling rain.

Carrie grumbled as she felt herself reach for Gumball, but her hand only fell against the couch. "Gumball…" She said from the couch, still half asleep.

"Good morning Carrie," His voice came from somewhere in the shed.

"I smell bacon… Are you making bacon just to make me miss eating?" She said hastily.

"I believe that life may be returning to you," Gumball said as he continued moving the pan so that the bacon sizzled. "But it's just a theory until you try a bite."

"What makes you think I'm coming to life?"

"Well… You're not as intangible as you used to be, you can get wet, you have legs occasionally and… I… uh…" Gumball struggled for words. "Well, my heart wasn't the only one I could feel last night."

"Are you serious?" Carrie stood up from the couch with possibly the biggest grin Gumball could've imagined on her. "

"Well I'd think we'd need a doctor to be for certain, but… Hey, wanna try some bacon?" He shook his pan a little to make it sizzle again. "Unfortunately it's the only breakfast food I keep here, but hopefully it taste good." Carrie timidly walked towards the bacon, it was all speculation, but she'd never been more excited to try and eat anything. She picked it off the pan but immediately dropped it and recoiled her hand.

"Ow!" She screamed. "That… hurt?" She said confused. "I think?"

"Yeah it's a hot pan, it's hot, you felt it?"

"Yeah… It fucking hurt…" She said staring at her ghostly hand. "This is… cool," She said and looked to him with a warm smile.

"Well, it's not how most people describe a burn, but I think we're making progress, here, have some bacon." He removed a piece from the pan and offered it to her. She took it in her hands and stared at it in awe for a moment before taking a bite. Her head withdrew in shock for a moment and she began chewing. "Good?"

"It's wonderful…" She said calmly and wrapped herself around Gumball.

"Well… I guess we can't call you ghost anymore…" He said and Carrie turned her legs back into a tail with smirk. "I revoke my previous statement."

"I think I reclaimed some life… But not enough to be alive," She said taking another bite of her bacon. "I don't remember food tasting so good…"

"That's because last time you ate food was through me, and you ate a flip flop…"

"You're never going to forget that are?"

"Not while I can blackmail you with it." He cheekily grinned. "Well, I'm going to see if that piano is still there… Wanna come?"

"Yeah…" She said nodding, "Let's do that." Her little smile refusing to leave her face.

The rest of the day went by quickly, as did the next few weeks. Everything finally started to fall into place for Carrie, she was alive; more or less, she was loved and so far Charon had done very poorly at making good on his word of vengeance. The first days were odd, not many people understood their relationship, and fewer still liked it. Initially, Carrie was horrified that Gumball would leave simply because his friends disapproved, but he never did. The cruelest by far was Penny, but Gumball still managed to brush her off, it was hard for Carrie to imagine a better guy than the funny blue cat. In terms of work, Carrie could play better than she remembered, she started by teaching Anais, and Mrs. Watterson recommended her to a friend, now she had regulars and children she visited every week. Perhaps the worst of her luck went to her house. A lot of it was broken down in the flood and she didn't really have the money to fix it, but Gumball was the first to offer the Watterson house for temporary staying purposes. The transition was seamless, and to Carrie's great pleasure, she was still a virgin. Her life grew every day, according to doctors she was now considered a Nehalem, though angels had nothing to do with her birth, there was a lack of terms to describe a half dead, half alive person.

Carrie sat on the Watterson porch by herself, watching as Mr. Robinson tried to explain his car's injuries to Gumball and why he should not have to pay, not very well she might add. The sun was setting in the distance and the sky was beginning to fill with the brilliant colors of dusk.

"No, see, it wasn't my fault, in fact it was probably your fault!" Mr. Robinson barked.

"Uh… Well, whosever fault it was, I spent four hours yesterday trying to fix your haul and don't even get me started on whatever you did to your radiator, the fact is I fix your car and would like to be paid." Gumball argued back. They'd been doing so for some time and Carrie found it mildly amusing when Anais came and sat next to her.

"Hey, did you master Revolutionary Etude yet?" She asked the pink bunny.

"Not yet, I can't think with Gumball being an idiot… How do you stand him?" Anais asked and Carrie shrugged.

"I don't think you would understand," Carrie tried.

"Try me, I'm kinda a genius," Anais said proudly putting her hands on her hips which made Carrie chuckle a little.

"Alright, he… Accepts me as I am, he never asked me to change and I'd rather die all over again than ask him to change, because… He makes me happy,"

"That's it?" Anais innocently asked. "What about… Your future? Gumball isn't smart really, you'll probably have to provide for the family, and he sucks with kids, and taking care of kids, and…"

"Anais!" Carrie interrupted. "We're not getting married, we're in high school."

"What's you point, you will though right?"

"I… Well," Carrie fumbled with her words and Anais grew a mischievous grin. "I mean, I do but…"

"You said you do! You want to marry Gumball!" She practically announced to the world.

"Alright, shush, just don't say anything, okay?"

"Fine! Here Watterson, I hope you choke on it!" Mr. Robinson shouted and angrily drove off. Gumball stared after him for a moment or two before walking back to their porch and tiredly sitting next to Anais and Carrie.

"What I miss?" He asked leaning his head against Carrie's shoulder. "I hate that guy…" He added.

"Carrie wants to marry you," Anais blurted out, Carrie tensed up and looked down to Gumball but he didn't seem to move.

"Well, I guess that means I'm doing a good job as your boyfriend," He said with a laugh.

"The best," She said and kissed his cheek and looked to Anais. "I'll remember this," She said with a similar evil smile. "Shall we go?" She asked Gumball and he raised up off her shoulder.

"I kinda stink," He said smelling himself.

"Alright, go shower, I'll wait here,"

"Wait where are you two going?" Anais asked looking up from the stairs.

"I have no idea… He won't tell me, but he promised it would be awesome," She said with a confused grin.

"Knowing Gumball it's probably going to be something ridiculous… Like bumper cars or something… I don't know…"

"Anais, are you jealous?"

"What! Ha, like I'd miss my brother who used to play with me…" She said lowly. "Yes he spends a lot of time with you,"

"I'll bring him back soon, and he and I will talk if he doesn't show you how to be dumb one more time,"

"He told you about that?"

"He tells me everything, except where we're eating tonight, it's a… Love thing," She said uneasily but it seemed to be enough for Anais and she walked back inside just as Gumball returned.

"That was fast," Carrie said impressed.

"Yeah… You're grandma tripped me again… I think it's becoming a game for her," He said still a little wet. "So, you're car or mine?"

"You mean that death trap you ride around on?" She said with a grin.

"I thought you like Lucy?" He asked with confusion.

"I do, I just promised Anais I'd bring you back alive, so I'm not going to take any chances."

"Fair enough… But I'm driving,"

"I'd hope you were, I don't know where we're going," She said smirking and Gumball rolled his eyes as he got behind the wheel. They drove for a time, Carrie suspecting he had no idea where they were going either, but eventually, they arrived at a small restaurant. It was designed to look as if it was made from sand and it was lit up with purple lights. The sign on the door read Ciudad de los Muertos and Carrie instantly lit up. "You didn't," She said in awe.

"Yup," He said pleased with her reaction. "Supposedly the best Mexican food ever, and it's only thirty minutes outside town,"

"How the hell did you get us a table?"

"Darwin has a friend, who… Has a friend, who has a brother… Regardless!" He said pulling into a parking spot. "The important thing is I'm here with my favorite person,"

"Favorite Nehalem," She corrected.

"You'll always be my angel," He said they had a quick kiss before heading for the door.


	8. Chapter 8

They entered the restaurant and were quickly seated. The atmosphere inside was dark and quiet, only lit by the candle on each table and the only noise was a lone skeleton, plucking strings on a guitar. Carrie was surprised by how at home she felt with the entire building, it was like someone took her favorite place to be and made it into a restaurant. Her eyes wondered the atmosphere until they settled on the menu in front of her and she eagerly flipped through its pages.

"This is amazing," Was all she was able to say. "Tell Darwin thank you,"

"I will, though I already paid him fifty bucks…"

"He made you pay? I revoke the previous statement,"

"Yeah, that's what I said."

"Is there something special about today…" She left the sentence open and Gumball seemed to think on it awhile before shrugging.

"You're here; I think that earns today the title of special."

"Aw, you're horrible at this," She said with a playful smile.

"It adds to my charm." He said smiling back.

"No it doesn't," She said dryly and he deflated a little. "I just think you're cuter because of it." She added. The waiter came by soon enough and took their orders along with a plate of chips.

"Actually Carrie, I did want to talk to you about something," He said rubbing his neck.

"Well shoot," She said happily eating another chip.

"I know, we're just teenagers, and Anais was kidding, but… I mean…"

"Use your words Gumball," She said laughing to herself.

"Do you think… That we could… Or, am I marriage material?" He spat out and Carrie dropped the chip she was holding.

"Well, I love you but—"

"Carrie Booregard?" Someone cut her off and she looked up to an ominous looking stork man with sunglasses and an officer's outfit on.

"Yes?" She asked looking to Gumball for some indication on who he was but he just shook his head and shrugged.

"My name is Agent Stanley, paranormal affairs; I need you to come with me,"

"Why?" Gumball asked for her. Agent Stanley pulled his sunglasses down and looked Gumball in the eye.

"I'll need to take you in to therapy son," He said coldly.

"What? What the fuck is happening?" Carrie asked panicked.

"Please, you know just as well as I do, now follow me," He turned to leave but Carrie didn't move.

"Are you kidding? You call me a criminal and tell my boyfriend he's crazy and just expect me to follow you? Tell me what's going on!" She snapped and Stanley was in her face the next second.

"You can come quietly or I can force you in, your choice and don't insult me by calling this poor idiot your boyfriend, we both know what he is."

"I'd like to go on record by saying you're crazy." Gumball cut.

"Hard way it is," Stanley said and whipped out a tazzer. He jammed it in between Carrie's neck and shoulder and she wordlessly drifted to the floor.

"Carrie!" Gumball shrieked and collided his fist with Stanley's skull as hard as he could. The agent fell on his stomach but quickly recovered.

"Son you have to listen to me, it's not real, whatever this girl told you, it isn't real, ghost don't love, they just find hosts to suck the life from, they do it a lot by making their victim think they're in love, I know you're innocent in this, but I will take you down if I have to,"

"Buddy, Carrie doesn't do that, she regained her life a few weeks ago and I feel fine,"

"No you think you feel fine, but in reality it's just the ghost's hold on you, please try and stay calm."

"You're fucking crazy—" Gumball said until he felt the pain of the tazzer for himself and blacked out.

Carrie felt one eye lazily open, then the other, though her vision was blurred she could smell that wherever she was, it didn't smell good. Her vision began to come back and she could see Agent Stanley standing behind a pane of glass, she looked to her left, then to her right, only to be met with similar panes of glass. She felt… Alone.

"Good morning Carrie," Stanley said.

"Why are you doing this to me?" She asked, terrified of her surroundings.

"Because it's ghost like you that make the underworld look bad,"

"What was my crime?" She asked recomposing herself.

"Keeping a civilian as life cattle, oldest crime known to ghost kind," He answered without any emotion.

"Listen to me, Stanley right? I have no idea what you're talking about,"

"Let me ask you something, do ghosts have a heart beat?"

"No… but I'm not a ghost anymore, I was inspected by a medical professional.

"Now, how does a ghost come back alive? Life doesn't just grow on trees, you're alive Ms. Booregard because you stole your 'boyfriend's' life, if you'd hung around him any longer the damage would have been irreversible,"

"You mean… I was hurting Gumball?" She asked horrified.

"Hurting him? You were killing him, and because the affect makes the victim attracted to its predator, he thought you loved him."

"I do love him!" She shouted.

"Then protect him, if you're around him anymore you'll kill him," He said coldly and Carrie backed down. "This glass is designed to negate the effect, we have him in therapy right now, but you had him good, poor bastard might be too far gone."

"I… I'll stay here…" She said and curled into a ball. "Please tell me when Gumball is better…"

"Will do ma'am, in the mean time you do have a visitor." Stanley said and let someone in. Steps came from the darkness of the room and Carrie shot her eyes across the room until her visitor stepped into the light.

"Hello again Carrie," Charon said with his devious grin.

Gumball sat in the all white room, his head resting in his hand and bored out of his mind. These idiots had been asking questions for hours, it seemed they were trying to tell him Carrie was evil and doing a very poor job of it. He looked up as another man in a suit opened the door and sat down across from him with a stack of papers.

"Gumball, so far you've been very convinced that Carrie loves you,"

"Because she does," He cut it.

"But did you ever stop to think that maybe it was because she kept your eyes away from other women?"

"No." He answered with a bored tone.

"Well, we're still going to try, here is a picture of your classmate, Teri, now tell me what you see here."

"It's a picture of Teri," His tone unchanged.

"I see, I see, now what do you think of Teri?"

"She's concerned, smart, she's a drawing so I couldn't exactly tell you if she was attractive and she never shuts up about her mother…"

"What do you think that means?"

"Why the hell are you asking me? Aren't you the physiatrist?"

"Now, here's Penny Fitzgerald, please describe her,"

"She's hot, move on,"

"I think we should emphasize on that,"

"I think you should die in a hole, too bad we all can't get what we want." Gumball continued, still bored out of his mind.

"Did you once have feeling for Penny?"

"Yup,"

"Do you any longer?"

"Nope,"

"Why do you think that is? Because I believe Carrie could be influencing your mind to believe you know longer have feelings for her."

"Listen dingus, everything about my body is mental, nobody fucks with me head unless I let them, I love Carrie, I don't love Penny,"

"Why do you think that is?" The man asked again and Gumball heaved the biggest sigh he could muster and slammed his head against the desk.

"Can they just taz me again and shut you up?"

Charon continued to stare upon Carrie with his piercing eyes and toothy grin, like he was enjoying seeing her locked in a cage.

"What do you want?" She asked coldly.

"I came to take you home," He said sympathetically.

"I'm not going anywhere with you." She affirmed.

"Carrie, can't you see you belong with me? I'm to only one you can't hurt, I made you cut out all your friends to protect you from this very situation, you must either stay here or come home with me, those are the only places you will be safe." He said with a smile.

"Go fuck yourself, I'm staying here," And Charon licked his lips at that.

"I love it when you're angry, and I missed those lovely lips of yours, I miss watching you use them,"

"Pervert…" Carrie muttered. "I'd rather suffer here than go back with you, at least I'm closer to Gumball here…"

"Do you still think he loves you? Who could possibly love you? You're evil Carrie, a biological leach that people lock away and forget about, Gumball will forget about you the second he realizes it was never real."

"It was real for me, if it wasn't for him, then I won't get in his way, let marry Penny, whatever, I just never want to see him unhappy, because no one deserves to smile more…"

"Sweet sentiment, but it doesn't change reality, you must realize that this is the way life works, you must move on you be left here for all your eternity." And Charon banged on the glass to her cage but Carrie remained silent.

"Leave Charon, now." She hissed and he complied shaking his head in disappointment.

"Gumball, your family is here, I think they'll help you through this."

"Huh? We're you talking?" Gumball asked sitting up from sleeping on his desk. The man waved his hand and the Watterson family came in. They all took a seat on a provided couch and looked to the psychiatrist for direction.

"Mrs. Watterson, we'll start with you, have you noticed Gumball and Carrie's relationship moving quicker than most?"

"No," Nicole said simply. "In fact they're probably going slower than most, the most I've seen them do is kiss, on the cheek, twice, and most kids in high school are trying new things at that point."

"Perhaps you were affected by the ghost too…" The man took a note down on his clipboard. "Now, Mr. Richardson, has Gumball acted any different than usual?"

"Usual? Gumball?" Richard asked and burst into a giant laugh. "Ha, ha," He finished and wiped a tear from his eye. "No sir, Gumball has been Gumball recently."

"…Perhaps you were also affected…" He took another note and his brow began to sweat. "Uh, Darwin, has your brother been, distant recently?"

"Not at all," Darwin said pleasantly. "He even plays Dodge or Dare with me again, and Carrie plays too sometimes."

"Clearly you are all around Carrie too much to see a difference, we'll bring in someone who can actually help." The doctor said and issued the family out. "In the mean time Gumball, try and think about if you actually know what love is." He said and followed his family out.

Carrie and Gumball spent the night in their cells, it was anything but a pleasant sleep, Gumball felt like he failed her and she felt as if she betrayed him. To talk to one another would be perfect, but they couldn't, so all they had was their thoughts. It was near midnight when Gumball heard his door open again and he causally looked up to see the doctor again and he lied his head back down. "Go away," He groaned from the floor.

"Why won't you let me help you?" He asked and Gumball simply flipped him off from the ground. "Well, luckily I brought someone who you'll listen to." He waved his hand and a familiar nut entered.

"Hey Penny," Gumball said tiredly.

"Hi Gumball, how are you doing?"

"Well, supposedly I'm bad, and I think I'm good, but hey! What the fuck do I know,"

"Gumball, I'm sorry," Penny said.

"Apology accepted, what are you apologizing for?"

"For being mad at you, I didn't know Carrie messed with your mind, but I did call this if you remember" And Gumball sat up from where he was on the floor.

"Listen, Penny, you're a nice girl, one of my best friends, or used to be… Doesn't matter, here's what's happening right now, an innocent girl is being held here, falsely I might add, and everyone thinks I'm crazy, now I've been to therapy, and they cleared me last time, now you can either tell this man here that I'm not crazy or you can try and do what he's doing, which is tell me I'm broken, whatever you do, I'm still stuck here and whatever you do, I'll still love Carrie, but-"

"Carrie left," Penny blurted out.

"What?" Gumball's confidence left him almost in seconds.

"She left with… Some guy an hour ago,"

"That's… I find that hard to believe,"

"It's true, maybe she was just using you, maybe this man is right,"

"I… Carrie…" Gumball said and looked around the room heaving at this point. "Where did she go?"

"I don't know, but you can leave too, if you just let us help you,"

"No… No…" Gumball began muttering to himself and rose to his feet. "I… I need Lucy, I need my shop!" He shouted at them.

"Who's Lucy? What are you talking about?" Penny asked frantically.

"I can't… I don't…. I don't want to be here anymore!"

"We'll take you to Lucy Gumball," The doctor said behind Penny and she looked at him with concern. "Mr. Watterson here has suicidal tendencies, when sent into a great deal of shock he has a habit of trying to kill himself," The doctor explained. "Thank you for your help in this matter Ms. Fitzgerald."

"Wait, but you promised that if I—"

"That is enough, please take your leave and we'll handle the rest." He said sternly and took Gumball by the shoulder.


	9. Chapter 9

The Watterson car was quiet that night as they drove back home from where Gumball was kept, until Darwin's phone went off and the whole family turned their attention. "Hello?" He answered.

"Darwin…" Gumball's voice came. "I'm spending the night at the shed… Have to think about things,"

"Oh… Okay, do you want me there?"

"No…" He trailed off. "Yes," Came a later answer. "I don't know anymore,"

"Are you alright? You don't really think Carrie used you, do you?"

"I don't know dude," Gumball's voice seemed to crack, like he was about to cry. "She left the building with some guy apparently, I just don't know anymore…"

"Oh… I'm sorry, I'll let you think on your own for a little and stop by tonight, okay?"

"Yeah… Yeah that sounds good." Gumball said and hung up.

"What's wrong Darwin?" Anais asked from the other seat. "Gumball's okay right? Carrie promised he'd be okay."

"Carrie… Carrie left without Gumball…" Darwin said uneasily.

"Why would she do that?"

"Maybe… Maybe she doesn't really like Gumball… Maybe she was actually just using him."

"No, no, I saw how Carrie spoke about Gumball, she loved him as much as he loved her, and she became his everything,"

"Anais," Nicole tried to calm her.

"They love each other mom! Something's wrong here, and we have to tell Gumball!"

"Anais, there's nothing to tell him,"

"Tell him to find Carrie! Tell him to keep fighting! He can't give up now!"

"Anais, please, we can't do anything but let Gumball heal,"

Gumball's shed was alive that night, the sound of clanking metal, the twisting of parts, sparks were flying everywhere, it was the sounds of Gumball, drowning out his thoughts in work. Nothing seemed to work though, he could still hear her voice, playfully laughing at him, or her smile when she realized she could eat once again.

"Maybe I am crazy…" Gumball said and threw off his welding mask. "Maybe it wasn't real…" He said to himself. "I can't die, people need me to be alive…" He reminded himself. "Death is too easy, I'm going to live." And went back to work on Lucy. By the time Darwin arrived, he couldn't tell anything was wrong, he and Gumball played video games, they talked, ate old pizza, nothing it indicate anything was wrong at all, Though in reality, it was clear he was hiding his pain.

Three months, three months she'd been locked up, three months she'd protected Gumball from her influence, and she sat in the middle of her cell in contempt. Was she happy? No, not in the slightest, was she alive? No, life had left her two months ago. All she was; was contempt, that she could feel, contempt to know he was free from her. Part of her still wanted what they had to be real, part of her wanted to say, to hell with the consequences and break free of the prison, but she couldn't bring herself to do so, she loved him too much. If there was anything to regret it would be that she never answered him on their last date, she hesitated and now she could never really tell him anything. Such was life in her glass cell, such would life continue to be.

"Ms. Booregard?" An unfamiliar voice asked and she looked up from the center of the cell. "Are you alright?"

"I'm in a glass box, how the fuck do you think I am?" She asked sarcastically and the sealed door flung open and several police officers approached her. "What the hell is going on…?"

"Ma'am, you've been held here for three months, we're here to bring you home."

"Wait… This isn't prison?" She asked confused.

"No, a corrupt politician owns this warehouse, we're looking into him now, but we need to get you out, now."

"So… Wait, do ghost really mind control people?" She asked again and the officers went silent for a brief moment before bursting out laughing.

"Uh… No ma'am," One said regaining himself.

"Oh shit!" She screamed and flew off.

"Alright, good job boys, who's up for doughnuts?" The policemen cheered.

Carrie was flying at top speed from the warehouse she was kept at, mentally straggling herself out of anger. 'of course it was trick by Charon… How could I be so stupid to fall for that again…' was the basic nature of her thoughts, until she completely stopped. "Wait… I can teleport!" She face palmed herself again and whisked away to the Watterson house.

There was a flash of light before she appeared, a little off target, but close enough that she could easily float towards and she banged on the door as hard as she could but she was met with nothing. "Mr. Watterson!" She yelled. "I know you're sleeping on that couch, let me in please," But she was still met with nothing. Sucking up her pride, she took a breath and called, "Free sausages." And within seconds the door burst open to the pink rabbit hungrily looking around only to see Carrie.

"Carrie, have you seen a sausage guy around here?" He asked drooling a little.

"No Mr. Watterson, have you seen your son per chance?"

"Well, Darwin is up stairs," The bunny said.

"And the other one, you know, the one I was kind of dating?" She tried again. But Mr. Watterson just frowned with watery eyes at the recognition of his first son and headed back in. "Mr. Watterson?" Carrie grew concerned at his reaction.

"He's not here anymore…" Was all he said to her and sat back down on the couch.

"What does that mean?" Her figurative breath quickened.

"It means he's not really Gumball anymore…" Mrs. Watterson entering from the kitchen, "He spends all his time in the shop if you want to see him, but don't get your hopes up." She said sadly and returned to the kitchen.

"What about my Grandma? Is she still here?" Carrie asked again.

"She… She had to return to the other side," Mr. Watterson answered.

"Oh… Did she say if she'll be back?"

"She didn't say anything…"

"Of course, I'm going to go check on Gumball…" Carrie said and floated out the door, both of them seemed very curt with her, like they were holding back anger, but she may have been misreading them, she's had a distinct lack of human interaction recently. She made her way to the junkyard and could see Gumball's shed in the back, cold and lifeless, but still there. With anticipation bubbling over her, she pushed the door open and the sounds of Gumball's mechanic work filled the room as she headed back to where he worked.

"Gumball?" She asked when the sounds quitted and peeked her head inside the garage. "Gumball, it's Carrie," She said again.

"I don't know a Carrie," He said and rolled out from underneath the car he was under.

"Ha ha, very cute,"

"I'm sorry, I don't remember you… The medicine makes me forget a lot of things, but I keep taking it for some reason," He stood up with grease coating his face.

"Gumball, you never took medicine before… Even after you tried to kill yourself,"

"Wow we must have been good friends if I told you about that… Sorry I can't remember you, what's your name again?" Carrie stared in horror at this… Shell of Gumball, he couldn't remember her, even as he stared at her with the same pleasant smile he always did.

"I… Yeah, we were close," She whispered when a watch on Gumball's arm started to beep.

"Oh, hang on, it's time for my medicine,"

"No!" She practically screamed and kept him where he was.

"… Are you okay?"

"Gumball, what the hell happened? Why would you take something that made you forget your family?"

"I don't know," He said shaking his head. "All I know is when I don't take the medicine I start to remember things,"

"Is that bad?"She pleaded.

"Yes! The memories hurt… I don't like remembering…" And he slid down the wall of his garage until he was sitting up against it. "I don't want to remember…"

"Well besides the obvious fact that you can't hide from your past, I need you to remember me, I can't go on in my afterlife without you,"

"Why not? You could take the medicine too, we could just forget each other,"

"I don't want to forget you," She said sitting next to him and making him face her. "I love you," She said and leaned up to kiss him, only to have him pull away.

"I…" He said struggling with his thoughts. "I… Carrie," He said finally and touched her face. When he did, Carrie noticed the slits in his fur, going down his wrist.

"Gumball…" Carrie said again and grabbed his hand, she looked over the scars and looked back at him with concerned eyes.

"That's what I did before the medicine… It helped forget… You, I wanted to forget you," His words labored. "You… You left me,"

"I'd never leave you," She quickly responded.

"That's not what the other girl said… I think she was my friend once too… A pecan or something…"

"A nut? Yeah… I think I know who you're talking about." Carrie nodded. Suddenly Gumball stood up and covered his face with his hands.

"Stop it!" He yelled. "Stop making me remember!"

"I need you to remember Gumball,"

"Why?" He asked shaking his head. "Who was I?"

"Because… There is no one, like Gumball Watterson, he's the best thing to happen to this world in a long time and I need him, because he's the best thing to happen to me in a long time. He could make anybody smile, he had the most positive person you could imagine, and… I think he was perfect."

"I can't… I.." Then Gumball collapsed on the ground with a thud. Carrie couldn't help but find it a tab bit funny as she carried him towards the couch and lied him down.

Gumball felt his eyes flutter as he woke up, his head felt like it'd been hit with a hammer a few times, but he felt decent. He rubbed his eye and sat up from the couch when the smell of bacon filled his nostrils. "Bacon?" He said to himself and turned to the stove to see the frying pan with bacon on the verge of burning and in haste he rushed to turn it off when Carrie came back through the door.

"Aw damnit…" She muttered. "Well, there goes my bacon idea…"

"Carrie?" He said once and shook his head. "Carrie?"

"It's nice to see you remember me again,"

"Yeah… I, wait… Where's your guy?" He accused in a harsher tone.

"You're my guy you idiot," She said taking a seat on the couch.

"No I mean the one you left with, when you were locked up,"

"Yeah you mentioned that when you were drugged up, something about a pecan telling you I left?" She asked with a playful smile. Gumball took a second to remember the incident and slapped himself in the face.

"I'm an idiot…"

"Yes you are, however you are my idiot, and therefore I'll forgive you, if you will get over here." And Gumball sat down next to her when she tackled him into the sofa with the most passionate kiss either of them had ever experienced. It lasted longer than either expected and soon enough, their mouths were open to each other, which led to a loss of clothing.

"Wait…" Gumball said as she kissed his neck.

"I swear to god if this is something noble, you're wasting your time, you know damn well you want this as much as I do"

"No I just… You can get pregnant can you?" He asked and Carrie's tail formed into legs, that she wrapped around his waist.

"Wanna find out?" She asked seductively and Gumball was powerless to refuse her kisses any longer.

Darwin sat by himself on the couch, mindlessly channel surfing, Anais on her practice piano next to him, both bored out of their minds. The Watterson house had gotten considerably less alive since Gumball's reclusion, so this was not an unusual site. When the door bell rang, Anais and Darwin shared a glance and wordlessly understood each other's intentions. They shook their hands three times, Darwin came up with paper and Anais with scissors. So with a groan Darwin got up and answered the door when his face instantly lit up. "Gumball!" He cheered and tackled his brother into a hug.

"You're suffocating me," Gumball said from under him and Carrie floated next to the scene with a small smile. Darwin removed himself from his brother and dusted himself off until he noticed Carrie.

"You! You almost killed Gumball again!" He said in anger.

"No, she didn't Darwin," Gumball stopped him. "She's been in that prison for the past three months…"

"But I thought—"

"I did too, however I don't give a damn was I thought, because right now I think I'm the happiest I've been in months."

"Good," Darwin said. "I forgive thee," he said to Carrie in an exaggerated voice.

"Thanks…?" Carrie tried.

"Carrie!" Anais screamed from the door way and ran to hug the ghost. Carrie greeted the little rabbit with open arms and they embraced for a short moment when Gumball coughed to remind his little sister he was still there. "In a minute," She said and went back to hugging Carrie.

"Wow, I can see who the favorite is," He mocked hurt.

"Don't hate me because I'm awesome," Carrie said and let Anais go. The rest of the Watterson family made an appearance to welcome home Gumball and Carrie, they ate, they danced, it was a night that some people would never forget or never remember, depending on who you were. For Gumball and Carrie, it didn't end until they were both curled up on each other in Carrie's guest bed.

"I'm sorry," She said out of the blue.

"For…?"

"For hesitating," Her answer didn't help Gumball understand. "You are the marriageable, the most marriable person I'm lucky enough to be able to call mine." And she kissed him on the cheek.

"I don't think marriable is a word." He chuckled.

"Don't ruin the moment," She curled back into him and fell asleep and he soon followed.

**So that**'**s it, endings... Work on them... Got it... Anyway, all my updates and stuff will be on my tumblr if you're interested, thank you so much for reading and I hoped you enjoyed it**


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